The NYPD is facing heavy criticism after officers shot a Black man over an alleged $2.90 subway fare evasion at the Sutter Ave. L subway station in Brooklyn.
In total, four people, including an officer, were shot during the incident.
According to reports, two officers on transit patrol confronted a 37-year-old man from Brownsville after he allegedly bypassed the fare gate without paying. The man was reportedly carrying a knife in his pocket. When attempts to tase him failed, the officers opened fire just before a train arrived.
RELATED STORIES
NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey defended the officers’ actions, stating they fired after the man threatened them, saying, “I’m going to kill you if you don’t stop following me.” The man was hit multiple times in the chest.
The NYPD confirmed that one officer and two other individuals were also injured during the gunfire.
“I don’t like to use the term ‘friendly fire,’ but we believe at this time that our officers were the only ones who discharged their weapons,” Maddrey said. “So everyone who was struck, we believe, was hit by our officers.”
The wounded officer was taken to Brookdale University Hospital and was found to have been shot in the chest under his right armpit.
A 49-year-old man was shot in the head, and a 26-year-old woman was shot in the buttocks. All victims were transported to local hospitals, with the woman reported in stable condition by FDNY.
Video of the incident, which spread across social media over the weekend, captured the chaotic scene as bystanders scrambled for safety.
“They’re shooting recklessly. He hit his own partner,” a man can be heard saying in the background of the video.
Despite public criticism, Chief Maddrey stood by the officers’ actions. “Officers were put in a very difficult situation to save themselves,” he said.
During a press conference, PBA President Patrick Hendry echoed Maddrey’s defense. “Our officers face dangerous environments every day, whether on the subway, on patrol, or in the streets,” said Hendry. “The real question is, why was this dangerous individual, who had been arrested numerous times, still out on the streets of New York?”
Mayor Eric Adams also commented on the shooting via the platform X (formerly Twitter), though he did not acknowledge that officers were shot by fellow officers.
READ ALSO: How this Black genealogist helped Black Americans to uncover their family histories
Police revealed that the suspect had a lengthy arrest history, further fueling the debate online, where many condemned the shooting.
