This is the moment a US cop shoots a “hallucinating” man after he pulled out a knife and refused to be taken back to hospital.

The officer-involved shooting took place in the residential area of Maspeth in the borough of Queens in New York City on 8th January.

The police said that officers tried to convince the “hallucinating” man to return to hospital during a discussion in the basement of his home when he “abruptly” brandished a knife.

The suspect, identified as Luis Padilla, 41, was hospitalised in a serious condition after being struck by two bullets, but was later released after receiving medical treatment.

Hours before the shooting, the suspect was hospitalised for experiencing hallucinations and was released into the custody of a family member.

Officers attended that first call before being sent back to the home hours later when he began destroying part of the property and claimed an intruder was looking for him, according to police spokesman Terence Monahan.

The police and a family member spoke with the troubled man in the basement for around 10 minutes, trying to convince him to return to hospital.

Monahan said: “He abruptly pulled out a large knife and yelled ‘I’m not going back to the hospital’.

“Armed with the knife, the male then lunged towards an officer standing on the staircase.”

According to the police spokesperson, one officer fired a taser while another cop “almost simultaneously” took out his gun and fired.

Monahan added that the suspect has a known history of drug use, including crystal meth, and officers responded to a similar call at the house two days before.

After being treated for his gunshot wounds, Padilla was charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.

An internal investigation into the officer-involved shooting is ongoing.