Man shot dead by police stabbed his mother over 40 times on Mother's Day
The shooting started as a call for a domestic situation inside a home on Topping Drive, police say.
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The man shot and killed by police on Sunday was attacking his mother on Mother's Day inside their home, according to new details released by the Southampton Town Police Monday.
Officials say she called police around 3 p.m. to report that her 28-year-old son, Steven Eastwood, was intoxicated and acting violently inside their residence.
While officers were heading to the home on Topping Drive in Northampton, she made a second 911 call saying he was now threatening her with a knife.
Three town police officers on scene found Eastwood holding a knife, standing over his mother who was on the floor. They demanded Eastwood drop the knife, but instead he got closer to the officers, they said.
While trying to de-escalate, Eastwood again stabbed and slashed his mother in front of police.
Officers shot Eastwood to end his attack on her, they say.
His mother was found with more than 40 apparent stab and slash wounds and was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital for emergency treatment.
"During this extremely difficult and violent incident, our thoughts remain with the victim and her family and all those affected by this traumatic incident," says Southampton Town Police Chief James Kiernan.
The home has a Riverhead mailing address, but falls within Northampton and under the Southampton Town Police Department's jurisdiction.
Three Southampton Town police officers were treated at a hospital and released.
Suffolk County police said the investigation is ongoing.
There is still no word on the motive for the attack.
"My immediate reaction was like, we knew something bad had happened," says Northampton resident Julie Barnett.
