A farebeater who defiantly walked through an open subway gate at the Sutter Ave. L subway station in Brooklyn and then pulled out a knife Sunday triggered a harrowing showdown with police that left four people injured, including one NYPD officer struck by friendly fire during  a barrage of bullets, NYPD officials said. Around 3 p.m., two police officers on transit detail at the station at Sutter Ave. and Van Sinderen Ave. in Brownsville saw the man go through the gate without paying and confronted him — only to have the scofflaw pull a knife out of his pocket and threaten the officers, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said at a news conference. The cops opened fire when their tasers didn’t stop him, injuring one officer, the farebeater and two civilians in a rain of bullets, police officials said. EMS rushed the wounded cop, who was hit in his chest under his right armpit, to Brookdale University Hospital in stable condition, interim Police Commissioner Thomas Donnelly said at the news conference at the hospital. The suspect, who allegedly told the officers, “I’m going to kill you if you don’t stop following me,” was hit multiple times in the chest, Maddrey said. Police discovered the man was carrying a knife when he refused to take his hands out of his pockets, Maddrey said. The officers then used their tasers, but when that failed to subdue the farebeater, they opened fire just as a train arrived on the platform and opened its doors, Maddrey said. In addition to the police officer and the suspect, a man was shot in the head and a woman was grazed in the leg by a bullet, according to Maddrey. They and the suspect were taken to area hospitals, according to FDNY. When asked if the injuries were the result of friendly fire, Maddrey said, “I don’t like to use that term friendly fire, but absolutely we believe at this time that our officers were the only ones who discharged weapons at this time.” ”So everyone that was struck this afternoon, we believe, was by our officers,” Maddrey continued. The suspect has a long arrest record, according to Donnelly. “Officers were put in a very difficult situation to save themselves,” Maddrey said. The press conference was the first presided over by Donnelly and he told reporters: “It feels fantastic.” Another police officer was also injured and taken to the hospital, according to Brooklyn Assembly member Brook-Krasney, though the officer wasn’t shot. “2 NYPD Officers were injured earlier this afternoon by gunfire in Brownsville, Brooklyn. We are awaiting further details regarding the extent of injury and the condition of the officers. I offer my prayers for their safety and recovery and remind all New Yorkers to never forget the courage and bravery of our NYPD,” Assembly Member Brook-Krasney posted on X. On Sept. 13, police fatally shot a man suspected of killing two people in 2022. This is a developing story.