September 22nd 2024.
Recently, a video surfaced of two New York City police officers involved in a shooting at a subway station. The footage shows the officers firing at a man who was standing still, with his arms by his side and his back to a train, while holding a knife. The incident has sparked controversy and raised questions about the use of deadly force by law enforcement.
In the days following the shooting, officials from the police department have repeatedly stated that the officers were forced to fire their weapons after the man, identified as Derell Mickles, "charged" at one of them. They claim that the officers tried to de-escalate the situation and use Tasers, but were left with no choice but to resort to deadly force to protect themselves and the passengers.
However, the footage, which was uploaded to the NYPD's YouTube page, tells a different story. It not only shows Mickles being wounded by the gunfire, but also a bystander, Gregory Delpeche, who was hit in the head by a stray bullet. Delpeche's family has revealed that he was critically injured and had to undergo surgery to reduce brain swelling.
According to Nick Liakas, an attorney representing Delpeche's family, the police's version of events is a mischaracterization of what happened. He believes that the use of deadly force was unnecessary and put innocent bystanders at risk. Liakas also pointed out that the shooting resulted in Gregory being shot in the back of the head.
In a news conference last week, police officials defended the actions of the officers. Interim commissioner Thomas Donlon stated that the shooting occurred because Mickles entered the subway system and refused to drop his weapon, even after being ordered to do so multiple times. Chief of Patrol John Chell described the incident as a "tragic situation" and stated that the officers did their best to protect themselves and the people on the train.
As per Chell's account, the situation escalated when Mickles jumped a turnstile at a subway station in Brooklyn. The officers asked him to leave, and he did, but was seen unfolding a knife on his way out. When he returned a few minutes later, the officers followed him onto the platform. In the body camera footage, they can be heard repeatedly telling Mickles to drop the knife, but he refuses and tells them to leave him alone.
When a train arrives at the station, Mickles backs onto it, and the officers follow him. They continue to order him to put down the knife and even use Tasers, which have little effect. Mickles then walks off the train with the knife still in his hand. Now on the platform, he holds the knife with the blade open, and the officers continue to follow him. In a sudden turn of events, Mickles runs towards one of the officers, who runs backward. The officers then pull out their guns, and Mickles comes to a stop with his hands by his sides, in front of the train. The officers fire multiple shots, and Mickles falls onto the train while the passengers inside flee.
However, in Chell's account, he mentions that Mickles charged at one of the officers and then turned around to face the other officer, who was standing about five feet away. He claims that it was at this moment that both officers fired their weapons.
Apart from Mickles and Delpeche, one of the officers was also injured in the shooting. A 26-year-old woman was grazed by a bullet. Mickles appeared in court from his hospital bed and pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted aggravated assault on a police officer, menacing an officer, weapons possession, and evading his subway fare. The judge set his bail at $200,000. His lawyer, Jonathan Fink, stated that his client was in a bad condition and unable to walk.
Fink also believes that there was a disproportionate use of force by the police in this case. Police reform advocates have also condemned the shooting, stating that it put dozens of transit users in danger. Loyda Colon from the group Communities United for Police Reform stated that this incident is a result of the city's decision to invest in more officers instead of addressing issues like mental illness and poverty.
Although Mayor Eric Adams initially commended the officers for showing restraint, he later released a statement saying that he will refrain from commenting further until the formal review is completed. The initial review by the NYPD found that the shooting occurred after Mickles brandished a dangerous weapon and put the officers' lives at risk. Mayor Adams stated that he respects the review process and will not comment further.
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