NYPD Says There Are More Fatal Police Shootings Elsewhere

After criticism about the NYPD's trigger finger, police spokesman Paul Browne says the NYPD is not at the top of cities with deadly police force. In fact, LA, Houston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Miami have had more than NYC's 13 fatal police shootings, which is interesting given that NYC is the biggest city. Then again, we don't live in those cities for many reasons. From the Daily News:

In the 1990s, New York had an average of 25 people fatally shot by cops every year, but those numbers are down dramatically.

Cops killed 13, 14 and 11 people in 2002, 2003 and 2004, respectively. The nine slain in 2005 marked the lowest number since 1973, Browne said.

The total number of shots fired by city cops this year, including the 50 in the Sean Bell case, is 523, a 13% drop from last year.

"The 50 shots is definitely an anomaly," said Browne.

In addition, the number of cops involved in shooting incidents is down 9%, to 148 from 162.

The Reverend Al Sharpton, who has been questioning police brutality in the wake of Sean Bell's death, asked, in regards to the fatal police shooting of a mentally ill ax-wielding man over the weekend, "Could there have been a way to apprehend him or contain him without killing him?”

Photograph by Triborough on Flickr

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By Jen Chung in News on December 18, 2006 5:58 PM

Comments [rss]

Dashing Danielle

Somebody hand Al a bullet proof vest and let him spend a few days shadowing NY's finest.

Anon

Rev al asks: Why is it usually a black man killed by the police

answer: black men comprise approx 70% of all crimes involving handguns - white men = less then 15%

NYC asks Rev al: Why does the death of a convicted criminal (justifeid or not) by the (multi-racial) police, spark you to action, when the death of scores of innocent black victims at the hands of black perpetrators cause you to speak out barely at all?

Kingcob Bob IV

My stupid step-son said it was Washington, D.C.

statistics

NYC still has the most amount of bullets fired though.

have u seen her?

Have you seen this guy Browne?

He's worse that that other NYPD official from Seville Row. You know, the guy with the bowler hat.

Only this guy has that Dan haggerty full beard and it's red. yuck.

Preach ON, Reverend Al Sharton. Some of us citizens are with you one hundred percent.

timbnyc

To the NYPD PR campaign: yawn. The data is not relevant.

Notice how now they provide pictures of the weapons that the dead person had? "See, this time we were right....they were armed!" But, while that information is relevant, it doesn't establish that they should have used deadly force.

ed_Extinct

sharpton's iignorant docuhebaggery sinks deeper.

if he focused on helping the black community within, instead of coming down on 5th aevnue and wall street: the people who run "the show" would be more inclined to help him and his cause.

until then, you will never see a change.

Bob A Booey

The Reverend Al Sharpton, who has been questioning police brutality in the wake of Sean Bell's death, asked, in regards to the fatal police shooting of a mentally ill ax-wielding man over the weekend, "Could there have been a way to apprehend him or contain him without killing him?”

It could have gone down like this:

NYPD: Please, Mr Crazy Ax Wielder, drop the ax....we'll give you some candy if you do!

Crazy Mr. Ax Wielder: Okeedokee Mr. Policeman, I will. Oh and have a nice day and a better tomorrow.

Why does Fat Al even care? The ax guy was white.

Bob A Booey

The Reverend Al Sharpton, who has been questioning police brutality in the wake of Sean Bell's death, asked, in regards to the fatal police shooting of a mentally ill ax-wielding man over the weekend, "Could there have been a way to apprehend him or contain him without killing him?”

It could have gone down like this:

NYPD: Please, Mr Crazy Ax Wielder, drop the ax....we'll give you some candy if you do!

Crazy Mr. Ax Wielder: Okeedokee Mr. Policeman, I will. Oh and have a nice day and a better tomorrow.

Why does Fat Al even care? The ax guy was white.