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U.S. NEWS Friday 15 September 2017

Video is released of 1st fatal NYPD shooting since bodycams

By COLLEEN LONG woman shot to death by a
Associated Press police officer during a simi-
NEW YORK (AP) — Police lar well-being check last
released bodycam foot- October.
age Thursday showing the “It’s also troubling that
tense buildup to the fatal in spite of the fact that
shooting of a man holding about 5,000 officers have
a knife and what turned received training on in-
out to be a fake gun, teracting with mentally ill
though the cameras didn’t people, the NYPD has yet
capture a clear picture of to figure out a way to get
the moment when officers the trained officers to the
opened fire. scene or simply do not uti-
It was the first fatal police lize crisis intervention teams
encounter recorded on as other cities use.”
the devices since officers NYPD Chief of Department
began wearing them this Carlos Gomez said officers
year. asked Richards 50 times to
Police were called to the drop the weapons.
Bronx home of 31-year-old In this Sept. 6, 2017, image taken from a New York Police Department officer’s body camera “That’s a lot of warnings
video, officers aim their weapons towards Miguel Richards as Richards kneels on his bed in his
Miguel Richards on Sept. New York apartment while holding a knife. The officers shot and killed Richards after he pointed a by both uniformed officers
6 after his landlord report- gun at them that turned out to be fake. and a friend at the scene,”
ed he hadn’t seen him for (New York Police Department via AP) Gomez said.
days. says. “Is that a real gun a thump, then 16 gunshots. attorney at The Legal Aid Richards’ father has said he
The videos, shot by cam- you’ve got there? Ricardo, Police said the officers fired Society. believed officers killed his
eras worn by four officers, I don’t want to shoot you when Richards pointed a She said Richards seemed son in cold blood.
show how police pleaded if you’ve got a fake gun in fake gun with a laser point- to pose no immediate “He did not deserve to die
with Richards for several your hand. You hear me? er at the officers. A red dot threat to the officers. this way,” he told the Daily
minutes to drop his weap- But I will shoot you if that’s from a laser pointer can “Moreover, these officers News of New York.
ons and show his hands. a real gun.” be seen, but it isn’t clear demonstrate zero knowl- The footage was released
Officer Mark Flemming What happens next is partly whether that comes from edge in identifying and publicly over the objec-
shines a flashlight into Rich- obscured by the officers’ the toy pistol or the sight on handling a situation involv- tion of Bronx District Attor-
ards’ bedroom as the in- arms and the walls. Another the stun gun. The officers ing an individual who may ney Darcel Clark, who said
formation technology stu- officer, Jesus Ramos, quick- appear to recoil just before be struggling with mental she supported the need for
dent, wearing dark glasses ly enters the bedroom with firing. illness.” transparency but wanted
and holding a knife, stands a stun gun. There is a loud “This footage raises more She likened the case to the the video withheld until she
motionless behind his bed. bang — police said from questions than it answers,” death of Deborah Danner, had completed an investi-
He never speaks. the stun gun discharging — said Tino Luongo, a lead a 66-year-old, mentally ill gation into the shooting. q
“Put your hand up, dude,
and drop the knife,” Flem-
ming says calmly. “I don’t Student sues Ohio college to play football
want to shoot you. Put your
hand up and drop that By MARK GILLISPIE he couldn’t play this sea- ified amount of damages. of the university, argu-
knife.” Associated Press son after a female student A university spokesman ing why Richmond’s peti-
A friend called to the CLEVELAND (AP) — A man circulated a petition ask- declined to comment on tion for relief shouldn’t be
apartment by the landlord convicted of rape as a ing that he be kept off the Thursday. U.S. District Judge granted. The reply says
frantically begs Richards to teen who served nearly a team. Ma’lik Richmond, of Benita Pearson will consid- “proving no deed goes un-
drop the knife and put his year in a juvenile prison in a Steubenville, filed the fed- er Richmond’s arguments punished,” the school has
hands up. highly publicized Ohio case eral lawsuit Wednesday. for reinstatement during been “hauled into court by
About 15 minutes in, the of- has sued Youngstown State The lawsuit asks that the a hearing Thursday after- a student that YSU has bent
ficers notice Richards has a University in federal court 21-year-old Richmond be noon in Youngstown. over backward to assist,
gun behind his back. after the school allowed reinstated to the team’s The Ohio Attorney Gen- support and provide a sec-
“Drop that gun, dude. him to join the football active roster along with at- eral’s Office submitted a ond chance when no one
Drop that gun,” Flemming team and then told him torney fees and an unspec- scathing reply on behalf else would.”q