New Yorkers took to the streets in protest this week as the NYPD released body camera footage of a police shooting involving a subway fare-evader armed with a knife that drew heavy public criticism.
Four people, including a police officer and the fare-evader, were shot in the September 15 incident that started when a man jumped the subway turnstile – evading the US$2.90 ($4.26) fare – in front of two transit patrol officers standing guard at the Brooklyn subway entry point. Police say Derrell Mickles, 37, was carrying a knife and was asked to leave.
After Mickles exited through the turnstile and re-entered the station through the emergency gate, police say the two officers chased Mickles onto the subway platform. They then confronted him and repeatedly ordered him to drop his knife, but Mickles refused to comply, police say.
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How the interaction unfolded
In bodycam and surveillance video of the incident edited and released by the NYPD Friday, a man, identified by police as Mickles, is seen entering a subway train car that pulls into the station during the confrontation in an apparent attempt to evade police.
After a brief pursuit along the subway platform, Mickles finds himself cornered, flanked by two officers. He charges, then abruptly halts, and then video shows the officers discharging their weapons multiple times in his direction, causing Mickles to collapse into the subway car.
Police say officers only fired their weapons after Mickles charged at them.
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“Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation by asking the suspect to drop the knife over 30 times and deployed tasers three times, all without success,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Operations Kaz Daughtry said in a post on social media.
Two bystanders and an officer were also struck by gunfire in the incident, according to police, who said one of those bystanders was hit by a stray bullet in the head and was still in critical condition as of Friday, the New York Times reported.
Mickles was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon, among other charges. He was arraigned Friday from his hospital bed in Kings County, according to CNN affiliate WABC, and pleaded not guilty.
CNN has reached out to an attorney representing Mickles for comment.
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Not about fare evasion, police say
“This incident was not about fare evasion,” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell emphasised to reporters at a news conference Wednesday. “This incident was about a person in mental stress armed with a deadly weapon and protecting our cops and citizens on that train.”
Public advocates and some New York City residents protesting the police’s use of force disagree.
New York City public advocacy group Legal Aid Society said the surveillance and body-worn camera footage fails “to capture the entire NYPD melee” and it “completely contradicts the Department’s claim that (Derrell) Mickles ‘charged’ at one of the officers.”
“As the video clearly shows, Mr Mickles was standing still when NYPD personnel unloaded their firearms at him,” the statement from Legal Aid Society reads.
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