Tension is growing over a recent shooting involving the New York City Police Department and a man who officers say didn’t pay to ride the subway. Four people were shot on Sunday, Sept. 15, including the suspect, two bystanders and an NYPD officer.
At least 18 protesters were arrested at Sutter Avenue L train station in Brooklyn on Tuesday, Sept. 17, where the incident happened two days earlier.
As for the original incident, police said they opened fire on Derell Mickles, 37, after he jumped the subway turnstile and charged at police with a knife when they approached him. Demonstrators at the later protest criticized the NYPD’s response, saying officers should have tried to de-escalate the situation, instead of shooting Mickles.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday, “He was not shot for fare evasion. He was shot because he had a knife and he went after the police officers … I thought those officers responded accordingly.”
Officers said they tried to use a taser on Mickles, but the attempts were “ineffective.”
As of Sept. 17, Mickles was in stable condition and is expected to face criminal charges, including attempted assault and fare evasion.
One of the bystanders, Gregory Delpeche, 49, who was also shot, remains in the hospital in critical condition. His family is calling for an investigation into the officers’ actions.
The other bystander and the officer who were shot in the incident are in stable condition.
