Suspect shot by Woodbury police wanted in laundromat stabbing; arrested four times since last year

The business owner provided News 12 Brooklyn with photos of the suspect and the knife allegedly used in the attack.

“I saw what happened after that, when people were harassing her and helping her,” said one customer. “Someone saw where he was going and pointed the police in the right direction.”

On Wednesday, state police discovered Ali in a stolen car on the northbound Thruway, not far from Exit 16 in Harriman. Ali is believed to have caused a fiery accident while trying to elude police earlier that morning and then fled barefoot into the woods.

Police said he was tracked down in a wooded area of ​​Highland Mills with a knife after a nearby trail camera caught him. The 38-year-old allegedly refused to comply with police orders to drop the weapon and attacked officers after being shot twice with a Taser, killing him.

It's not yet clear if the woman survived the stabbing, and different police agencies are giving News 12 conflicting information about the crime or crimes Ali was wanted for. The NYPD says he has been arrested four times since last year for two sex crimes, robbery and criminal damage.

The Attorney General's Office and state police are investigating Ali's fatal shooting.