Man shot chasing COPS off stoop on Lafayette

homeowner

I'm surprised there is nothing about this story on here.

Update | 4:31 p.m. The chief spokesman for the police department, Paul. J. Browne, said this afternoon that the 36-year-old undercover officer involved in the shooting of a 49-year-old man in front of his family’s home was part of a team working in the area on a drug-buying operation.

The officer was sitting last night at about 8 p.m. on the stoop of 370 Lafayette, and another undercover officer was posted next door outside of 368 Lafayette, Mr. Browne said.

The two are known as “ghosts,” in police parlance, or undercover officers whose job is to keep an eye on and provide back-up to a third undercover officer who is doing the buy-and-bust work. In this case, the third officer was in front of a bodega two doors away.

The police did not name any of the officers. The officer whose weapon discharged is, like Mr. Walker, black, a police statement said.

There had recently been drug complaints and a shooting in the neighborhood, and that same night the police had made three arrests nearby, according to Mr. Browne.

But it was a slow night and, around 8 p.m., two sergeants who were supervising the operation from another street were about to call it off for the night, he said.

Then Mr. Walker emerged from his building, and encountered the undercover officer on his stoop.

“There is some statement to tell him” — meaning Mr. Walker to the police officer — “to get off the stoop and he starts pummeling him in the back of his head,” said Mr. Browne. Mr. Walker said “get out of here or I will move you myself,” according to Mr. Browne.


The second undercover, next door at 368 Lafayette, saw what was happening and went to assist, Mr. Browne said. But by then, the first undercover had stood up and was struck in the face, ­on the bridge of his nose, by Mr. Walker, Mr. Browne said. The two men then fell to the street, he said. The officer later needed two stitches to close the wound, Mr. Browne said.

Mr. Browne said Mr. Walker was grabbed from behind by the shoulders by the second undercover who had just come to assist, when the first undercover who had been struck pulled out his weapon, a Smith and Wesson 9 millimeter, Mr. Browne said. “Walker grabs the gun with two hands,” Mr. Browne said.

The gun was fired twice, he said. One round hit Mr. Walker in the left side of his chest, he said.

Coincidentally, two uniformed housing officers passed by in an unmarked vehicle and saw the undercover officer get hit in the face, Mr. Browne said. They stopped, heard the gunshot and then saw Mr. Walker on the ground.

They then held the two undercover officers at gunpoint, Mr. Browne said, until the third officer in front of the bodega ran over to them and told the uniformed officers that they were cops, Mr. Browne said.

It was not immediately clear if the officers identified themselves as police. However, the police have several civilian witnesses, including two who told cops they heard “Freeze” and “No, Don’t,” just prior to the shots being fired, Mr. Browne said. A police officer, possibly one of the sergeants, heard, “Police, don’t move,” he said.

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meredithb

Lesson to be learned: Don't hit police officers or grab their guns.

bbc

MeredithB wrote: Lesson to be learned: Don't hit police officers or grab their guns.

It seems the officer may not have identified himself as such. That is a main source of contention and inquiry in this case.

hatemail

Another time wasting, ineffective, buy and bust operation.

limestonekid

I think because it's been covered quite extensively by the MSM as well as by other blogs in the neighborhood.

boogieknight

MeredithB wrote: Lesson to be learned: Don't hit police officers or grab their guns.

As stated, a major problem w/ plainclothes officers is that they often fail to remember that they have spent considerable time and effort in NOT LOOKING like police officers....SO...a guy comes out on his own stoop and finds a shady type - guy tells shady guy to take a hike..and then something happens and the civilian is shot dead by a cop.

Other uniformed officers on the scene who witnessed everything from the punch onward had no inkling that the two men they held at gunpoint were cops.

The shooting of Dorismond at Club Wakanda a few years back, that African merchant who was shot to death in his own storage unit - and other similar cases, all involve civilians being shot by plainclothes cops who in no way or form looked or acted like cops.

It can't be the civilian's responsibility to notice that someone is an undercover officer and give the plainclothes cops all deference and accomodation that is due an uniformed officer.

Plainclothes officers have to have it drilled into their heads that until their badge is out and they have clearly identified themselves as officers of the law - they're just scary guys w/ guns, and that the general public is going to react to them as such.