The Brief Long Island police officers shot a man in the face after he allegedly lunged at them with a large knife. A Columbia University medical student was shot in the face and injured by police officers on Long Island after he allegedly lunged at them with a large knife late Monday night. A call reporting a man being assaulted with a gun was followed by calls about a man acting erratically and threatening to stab people. The officers responded by firing at Thompson, who was shot in the face and hospitalized, but expected to survive the injuries. During a previous encounter with police in April, he was reportedly in a depressed state and attempting to sniff glue.