Police officers hug in front of the 46th Precinct in the Bronx borough of New York, Thursday, July 6, 2017. Police officer Miosotis Familia, who worked out of the 46th Precinct, was shot to death the day before, ambushed inside her command post RV by an ex-convict who once ranted online about his treatment in prison and about police getting away with killing people, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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NEW YORK (AP) - Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday launched an investigation into a hospital's handling of a man who sought psychiatric care just days before he fatally ambushed a New York Police Department officer sitting in a mobile command post.
"Under tragic circumstances such as these, it is critical to ensure all proper procedures and safeguards were taken," Cuomo said Thursday in a statement. "At my direction, the state Department of Health and Office of Mental Health are launching an immediate review of St. Barnabas Hospital's actions and policies in admitting, treating and discharging this individual."
Cuomo, a Democrat, said the review will determine if all relevant state laws, regulations and guidelines were followed.
Police officials said that only a few hours before the early Wednesday attack the shooter's girlfriend called 911 to report that she was worried about his unstable behavior.
The woman called at about 10 p.m. Tuesday to say Alexander Bonds "was paranoid and acting erratically," NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said.
Officers were dispatched to look for Bonds on the streets of a Bronx neighborhood, but the 34-year-old ex-convict evaded them, police said.
At about 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Bonds walked up to an RV-like mobile command unit several blocks north of where police had searched for him and fired a shot through a passenger-side window, striking and killing Officer Miosotis Familia. Two other officers later shot Bonds to death.
Boyce said the girlfriend told police that she had taken Bonds for a psychiatric evaluation on July 1 but he was released after about an hour. Investigators who are trying to determine a motive for the killing also found antidepressant and anti-psychotic medications in his apartment.
St. Barnabas Hospital said it welcomes any investigation and will fully cooperate.
"We believe all mental health procedures and safeguards were properly followed in the hospital's evaluation of Mr. Bond during the 7 to 8-hour period he was observed in our emergency room on July 1," hospital spokesman Steven Clark said in a statement, which incorrectly referred to the killer as Bond, not Bonds.
Last year, Bonds ranted in a Facebook video about law officers killing and abusing people and warned them to leave him alone or "we gonna do something."
"I'm not playing, Mr. Officer. I don't care about 100 police watching this," Bonds said, adding: "It's time for people to wisen up."
Police Commissioner James O'Neill said Familia "is dead for one reason and one reason only and that is Alexander Bonds and his hatred of police."
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This story has been corrected to show the shooting was at 12:30 a.m., not p.m.
This undated photo provided by the New York Police Department shows officer Miosotis Familia, who was shot to death early Wednesday, July 5, 2017, ambushed inside a command post RV by an ex-convict, authorities said. The gunman was killed by police about a block away. (NYPD via AP)
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In this image taken from video, New York City Police and firefighters salute as the motorcade with the body of fallen NYPD officer Miosotis Familia leaves Bellevue Hospital in New York enroute to the funeral home, Thursday, July 6, 2017, in New York. Familia was shot and killed while on duty in the early hours of July 6 as she wrote in her notebook inside an NYPD Mobile Command Vehicle. (AP Photo/Robert Weisenfeld)
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In this image taken from video provided by WABC, New York City Police Officers salute as a police motorcade with the body of NYPD officer Miosotis Familia leaves Bellevue Hospital for the funeral home Thursday, July 6, 2017. Familia was shot and killed on duty in the early hours of Wednesday while sitting inside an NYPD Mobile Command Vehicle. (WABC via AP)
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Tributes to police officer Miosotis Familia are seen in front of the 46th Precinct in the Bronx borough of New York, Thursday, July 6, 2017. Familia was shot to death early Wednesday, ambushed inside her command post by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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A man lights candle in front of the 46th Precinct in tribute to police officer Miosotis Familia in the Bronx borough of New York, Thursday, July 6, 2017. Familia was shot to death early Wednesday, ambushed inside her command post by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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Tributes to police officer Miosotis Familia are seen in front of the 46th Precinct in the Bronx borough of New York, Thursday, July 6, 2017. Familia was shot to death early Wednesday, ambushed inside her command post by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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Tributes to police officer Miosotis Familia are seen in front of the 46th Precinct in the Bronx borough of New York, Thursday, July 6, 2017. Familia was shot to death early Wednesday, ambushed inside her command post by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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Police officers hug among tributes to police officer Miosotis Familia in front of the 46th Precinct in the Bronx borough of New York, Thursday, July 6, 2017. Familia was shot to death early Wednesday, ambushed inside her command post by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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Police officers take a moment after placing flowers at the 46th Precinct in tribute to police officer Miosotis Familia in the Bronx borough of New York, Thursday, July 6, 2017. Police officer Miosotis Familia was shot to death early Wednesday, ambushed inside her command post by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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Haniya Smith, a local resident, leaves flowers near the site where a police officer was killed in the Bronx section of New York, Thursday, July 6, 2017. Police officer Miosotis Familia was shot to death early Wednesday, ambushed inside her command post by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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A police officer stands near the site where an officer was killed, and flowers have been left, in the Bronx section of New York, Thursday, July 6, 2017. Police officer Miosotis Familia was shot to death early Wednesday, ambushed inside her command post by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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A police officer works near the site where an officer was killed in the Bronx section of New York, Thursday, July 6, 2017. Police officer Miosotis Familia was shot to death early Wednesday, ambushed inside her command post by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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A man who left flowers near the site where a police officer was killed shakes hands with police officers working in the Bronx section of New York, Thursday, July 6, 2017. Police officer Miosotis Familia was shot to death early Wednesday, ambushed inside her command post by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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A man leaves flowers near the site where a police officer was killed in the Bronx section of New York, Thursday, July 6, 2017. Police officer Miosotis Familia was shot to death early Wednesday, ambushed inside her command post by an ex-convict, authorities said. He was later killed after pulling a gun on police. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
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This April 10, 2013 photo released by the New York State Department of Corrections shows Alexander Bonds, also known as John Bonds. A New York City police officer was shot to death early Wednesday, July 5, 2017, ambushed in a marked police vehicle by Bonds with a revolver who was later killed by officers. (New York State Department of Corrections via AP)
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New York Police Department (NYPD) Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce, left, and NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill, right, hold a news conference after a swearing-in ceremony for new police recruits entering the Police Academy, Thursday, July 6, 2017, in New York. Boyce and O'Neill spoke at the news conference also of a shooting death of a New York Police Department officer who was ambushed Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
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New York Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner James O'Neill listens during a new conference after a swearing-in ceremony for new police recruits entering the Police Academy, Thursday, July 6, 2017, in New York. O'Neill spoke at the news conference also of a shooting death of a New York Police Department officer who was ambushed Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
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