A language barrier might have played a part in the shooting of a knife-wielding Bronx tenant who was gunned down by cops outside his apartment after confronting a suspected burglar, officials said Monday The wounded tenant is a Mexican immigrant who speaks no English, police said, and may not have understood cops’ commands to put down the knife he carried outside to confront a man he said was trying to dislodge the air conditioning unit from his window on E. 148th St. near Courtlandt Ave. in Mott Haven. Julian Roberts-Grmela / New York Daily NewsPolice shot and wounded an armed man in the Bronx during a harrowing confrontation on Jan. 12, 2025. (Julian Roberts-Grmela / New York Daily News) It was the shooting victim who called 911 before dashing to the hallway and through a door leading to an alley over which the air conditioner hangs. Screen grab from security camera footage show the victim confronting the burglar before being shot by an NYPD officer inside a Bronx apartment building on Jan. 12, 2025. (Obtained by Daily News) Separate videos show the victim in the alley, and one cop opening fire when he returns to the hallway. The shooting video shows the officer squeezing the trigger at a person off camera. Police said a “butcher knife” was recovered from the scene. “When he called, he spoke Spanish,” said Rohan Griffith, commanding officer of NYPD’s force investigation unit. Griffith said officials need to determine if the officers and the tenant understood each other. Neighbor Juan Rivera, 78, said cops responded quickly. “I was walking my dog and so many cops came into the building,” Rivera said. “The detectives told me someone tried to steal the guy’s air conditioner [and] he went after the guy with a knife. They told him to drop the knife.” Police said it was unclear if the man in the alley was trying to actually steal the appliance or remove it to get into the apartment. The shooting happened within seconds. “Bang, bang. Two shots,” Rivera said. “When they brought him out he was bleeding. I don’t think the shooting is totally right. … They didn’t waste any time shooting him.” Screen grab from a security camera shows an NYPD officer shooting a man with a knife inside a Bronx apartment building on Jan. 12, 2025. (Obtained by Daily News) Neighbor David Bermudez, 25, said he also heard two shots. “The lady cop shot him,” Bermudez said. “The guy was laid out. He was bleeding. I saw a lot of blood. I was scared and confused. The cops were telling me ‘you have to leave, you can’t stay here.’ The Bronx is getting worse and worse everyday.” Griffith said police are still searching for the would-be thief.