The Manhattan lawyer who attacked his family with a bat and knife before he was killed by cops had deep financial troubles that police are probing as a possible motive, The Post has learned.
Christopher Andrews, 51, who had a small office on Lexington Avenue, assaulted his wife, Kathleen, at 22 Mount Laurel Road in Fairfield early Tuesday, leaving her with serious facial stab and blunt-force wounds.
He then unleashed his rage on his 12- and 15-year-old sons and 13-year-old daughter. The older son managed to wrestle a baseball bat from his dad and ran outside, where cops ordered the boy and his dad to stop in their tracks.
The boy obeyed but Andrews kept advancing, leading Patrol Officer Sean Fenton to open fire, Fairfield police Lt. James Perez told The Post.
Investigators will look into Andrews’ finances as part of the probe. The family has been renting the $750,000 home from its owners, Harun and Jacinta Keskinkaya. The 2,114-square-foot house has three bedrooms.
According to public records, Andrews faced a state tax lien for $16,737. Other liens — for $1,960, $9,795 and $7,375 — had apparently been settled.
A front-desk receptionist at Andrews’ law firm, Andrews & Andrews, said she was not allowed to give out information Wednesday.
Andrews lost his brother, Michael, at the World Trade Center in the 9/11 attacks, according to reports.
Meanwhile, Fenton, a 26-year veteran, was praised by his boss Wednesday. “Officer Fenton’s quick actions in responding to this incident prevented further serious injury to family members,” Police Chief Gary MacNamara said in a statement.
The officer was placed on administrative leave during the investigation, which is being led by Connecticut state police.
Kathleen was in stable condition at Bridgeport Hospital. The couple’s 12-year-old boy was in critical condition at Yale-New Haven Hospital with extensive head injuries, Perez said. The other two kids were released from St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport and are with relatives.
Police said there were no records of previous problems at the Andrews home.
Neighbors reacted with shock at the tragic news.
“They were really good friends with a whole group of other neighbors; they spent a lot of time together. It’s all very confusing,” Shari Nerreau told the Connecticut Post.