Woman fights for life after psycho goes on knife rampage

BY ALISON GENDAR, JOHN LAUINGER and CHRISTINA BOYLE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Sunday, October 7th 2007, 4:00 AM



A shirtless madman wielding stolen knives went on a bloody midtown
rampage yesterday - stabbing a restaurant worker and a psychologist
walking her dog before being shot by an off-duty cop, authorities
said.

Deranged Lee Coleman stood wild-eyed over the dog-walker, methodically
plunging a knife into her body and face over and over - even pausing
to change knives as the woman lay in a pool of blood, screaming for
help.

Singh was hospitalized at Bellevue in serious but stable condition,
while Coleman was in stable condition at the same hospital. Coleman
was charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of
a weapon.

Chin was given a sobriety test - which he passed - under a new and
controversial NYPD policy introduced last Sunday.

cboyle@nydailynews.com

Woman fights for life after psycho goes on knife rampage

BY ALISON GENDAR, JOHN LAUINGER and CHRISTINA BOYLE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Sunday, October 7th 2007, 4:00 AM

A shirtless madman wielding stolen knives went on a bloody midtown
rampage yesterday - stabbing a restaurant worker and a psychologist
walking her dog before being shot by an off-duty cop, authorities
said.

Deranged Lee Coleman stood wild-eyed over the dog-walker, methodically
plunging a knife into her body and face over and over - even pausing
to change knives as the woman lay in a pool of blood, screaming for
help.

The crazed mental patient got into several confrontations while
running up Second Ave. near 35th St. before he took aim at Susan
Barron, 67, who was walking to church to have her dog blessed, sources
said.

Barron, who lives in the neighborhood, was stabbed at least 10 times
in the face, neck, arms and abdomen, leaving her badly mutilated,
witnesses said. She was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in critical
condition.

"He was chopping down on her," said Andrew Fink, 29, who was getting
into a cab when the attack took place. "I saw him hit her at least 10
times. She was screaming and crawling along the street and people were
running away.

"It looked like she was trying to crawl into the intersection. She was
crying out in pain. He looked very intent. He was systematically
bringing the weapon down on her."

Police said Coleman, 38, has a history of mental illness and has been
in and out of psychiatric clinics. He was off his medication, sources
said.

He has prior arrests in Georgia in 2001 for child abandonment,
assault, theft and receiving stolen property. He was also arrested in
2004 in New Jersey, but police were unclear on the charges.

Coleman's frenzy along Second Ave. began shortly before the 10:40 a.m.
stabbing. His first stop was Starbucks on 32nd St., where staff caught
him rifling through drawers behind the counter, police said.

He left empty-handed and walked a few blocks north to a deli, engaging
in an argument with a person there.

Coleman then walked to Texas Smokehouse restaurant. He asked to use
the bathroom, but instead went behind the counter and stole four
knives.

Chef Amarjit Singh, 56, was slashed across the face and neck as he
tried to stop Coleman, police sources said.

Singh fled the restaurant onto Second Ave. followed by Coleman, who
came face-to-face with Barron at the corner of 35th St. and, without
warning, turned the knives on her.

Barron - wearing a neck brace from a recent accident - fell to the
ground, holding her cane in one hand and her black Scottish terrier,
Velvet, on a leash in the other, but the attack continued.

Coleman was seen standing over Barron, stabbing her and slashing her
body "like a piece of meat," sources said. "He had so many knives that
he had to put some down on the ground" while he stabbed her with
others.

Despite being badly injured, Singh returned to the scene as Barron was
being attacked, rushed into the restaurant and grabbed towels and
aprons to stem her bleeding.

An off-duty NYPD Transit cop, Gregory Chin, who was on vacation and
had been eating at the Gemini diner near where the attack took place,
spotted the mayhem and intervened.

"Drop it, drop it, drop the f------ knife," he screamed at Coleman, a
police source said.

Coleman ignored Chin's order and advanced aggressively, wielding the
knives, forcing the cop to fire one round with his off-duty weapon,
hitting Coleman in the stomach.

Two bridge-and-tunnel officers helped wrestle Coleman to the ground,
where he continued to resist arrest after he was wounded, witnesses
said.

"Clearly this guy [Chin] is a hero," said Allan Chapin, 66, who
witnessed events from the diner window. "This guy saved a few lives.
He [Coleman] was wrestling like crazy, and it took four policemen to
subdue him and get the cuffs on."

Coleman had been especially upset over an ongoing problem with a
girlfriend, sources said.

Family members met with Coleman Friday night and convinced him to see
a psychiatrist, sources said. But Coleman bolted as relatives tried to
shuffle him into a car to drive him to the doctor.

Singh was hospitalized at Bellevue in serious but stable condition,
while Coleman was in stable condition at the same hospital. Coleman
was charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of
a weapon.

Chin was given a sobriety test - which he passed - under a new and
controversial NYPD policy introduced last Sunday.

cbo...@nydailynews.com

Woman fights for life after psycho goes on knife rampage

BY ALISON GENDAR, JOHN LAUINGER and CHRISTINA BOYLE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Sunday, October 7th 2007, 4:00 AM

A shirtless madman wielding stolen knives went on a bloody midtown
rampage yesterday - stabbing a restaurant worker and a psychologist
walking her dog before being shot by an off-duty cop, authorities
said.

Deranged Lee Coleman stood wild-eyed over the dog-walker, methodically
plunging a knife into her body and face over and over - even pausing
to change knives as the woman lay in a pool of blood, screaming for
help.

The crazed mental patient got into several confrontations while
running up Second Ave. near 35th St. before he took aim at Susan
Barron, 67, who was walking to church to have her dog blessed, sources
said.

Barron, who lives in the neighborhood, was stabbed at least 10 times
in the face, neck, arms and abdomen, leaving her badly mutilated,
witnesses said. She was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in critical
condition.

"He was chopping down on her," said Andrew Fink, 29, who was getting
into a cab when the attack took place. "I saw him hit her at least 10
times. She was screaming and crawling along the street and people were
running away.

"It looked like she was trying to crawl into the intersection. She was
crying out in pain. He looked very intent. He was systematically
bringing the weapon down on her."

Police said Coleman, 38, has a history of mental illness and has been
in and out of psychiatric clinics. He was off his medication, sources
said.

He has prior arrests in Georgia in 2001 for child abandonment,
assault, theft and receiving stolen property. He was also arrested in
2004 in New Jersey, but police were unclear on the charges.

Coleman's frenzy along Second Ave. began shortly before the 10:40 a.m.
stabbing. His first stop was Starbucks on 32nd St., where staff caught
him rifling through drawers behind the counter, police said.

He left empty-handed and walked a few blocks north to a deli, engaging
in an argument with a person there.

Coleman then walked to Texas Smokehouse restaurant. He asked to use
the bathroom, but instead went behind the counter and stole four
knives.

Chef Amarjit Singh, 56, was slashed across the face and neck as he
tried to stop Coleman, police sources said.

Singh fled the restaurant onto Second Ave. followed by Coleman, who
came face-to-face with Barron at the corner of 35th St. and, without
warning, turned the knives on her.

Barron - wearing a neck brace from a recent accident - fell to the
ground, holding her cane in one hand and her black Scottish terrier,
Velvet, on a leash in the other, but the attack continued.

Coleman was seen standing over Barron, stabbing her and slashing her
body "like a piece of meat," sources said. "He had so many knives that
he had to put some down on the ground" while he stabbed her with
others.

Despite being badly injured, Singh returned to the scene as Barron was
being attacked, rushed into the restaurant and grabbed towels and
aprons to stem her bleeding.

An off-duty NYPD Transit cop, Gregory Chin, who was on vacation and
had been eating at the Gemini diner near where the attack took place,
spotted the mayhem and intervened.

"Drop it, drop it, drop the f------ knife," he screamed at Coleman, a
police source said.

Coleman ignored Chin's order and advanced aggressively, wielding the
knives, forcing the cop to fire one round with his off-duty weapon,
hitting Coleman in the stomach.

Two bridge-and-tunnel officers helped wrestle Coleman to the ground,
where he continued to resist arrest after he was wounded, witnesses
said.

"Clearly this guy [Chin] is a hero," said Allan Chapin, 66, who
witnessed events from the diner window. "This guy saved a few lives.
He [Coleman] was wrestling like crazy, and it took four policemen to
subdue him and get the cuffs on."

Coleman had been especially upset over an ongoing problem with a
girlfriend, sources said.

Family members met with Coleman Friday night and convinced him to see
a psychiatrist, sources said. But Coleman bolted as relatives tried to
shuffle him into a car to drive him to the doctor.

Singh was hospitalized at Bellevue in serious but stable condition,
while Coleman was in stable condition at the same hospital. Coleman
was charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of
a weapon.

Chin was given a sobriety test - which he passed - under a new and
controversial NYPD policy introduced last Sunday.

cbo...@nydailynews.com