Cop Shoots Queens Man in Far Rockaway

Early Saturday morning around 2 a.m., an undercover police officer shot and killed a 22-year-old Queens man after he pointed a gun at him and another officer. Earlier in the night, Ronnie Smalls had run from police when they approached him because they recognized him as a known criminal--he'd been arrested nine times before--and suspected he was carrying a gun. When they saw Smalls a second time, he ran again. According to the Associated Press account, with two undercover police chasing on foot and the third giving chase in a car, the officer in the car said he saw the suspect pull his gun and point it at the pursuing officers. At that point, Smalls either tripped or was tackled and the closest pursuing officer fired four shots at Smalls as they struggled on the ground.

Smalls was struck twice in the head and once in the leg and later died at Peninsula Hospital Center. His father questioned whether the shooting was justified, saying that from what he could see, his son was brutally beaten and then killed by police. A .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol was recovered at the scene. The New York Times reports that Ronnie Smalls' picture was posted at the 100th Precinct House in Queens and was well known to local officers. He allegedly went by the street name "Thug." A woman who identified herself as his aunt said he was "a good person, a very nice person."

Saturday morning's shooting was the 8th time since the start of the new year that police have had guns pulled on them and the fourth officer-involved shooting in the first five days of 2008.

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By Dave Hogarty in News on January 6, 2008 9:45 AM

Comments [rss]

who r u 2 judge

i signed up for this just to let edex know you are a piece of sh*it I will wait for the same fate to happen to you and I look forward to putting nasty remarks about you on here you are a cold hearted punk. Maybe

Basmah Allen

I was very angry and displeased with the comments made about my cousin. Once I finish this comment will you all think the same way if you do I could care less but there are some fact that you all should know before you pass judgement. Ronnie never robbed anyone johnieBK....and Snoppy you wonder how the other nieces and newphew are ask me? I'm a college graduate with a masters in Healthcare education something that you would or don't know about. Ronnie was killed like an animal in the street even Micheal Vicks Dogs got more respect than he's getting right now. The three officers that killed my cousin stories are not consistent with one another. He was running from the cops when he was shot in the back and in the leg. The office that shot him said he didn't see a gun but the office in the car said he saw a gun . Huh sounds funny to me? As my cousin who was already shot twice layed on the ground after they takled him a skuffle broke out and he was accidently shot in the head. What office runs with his gun out? that is against departmental rules....There was also one little piece of key evidence they left out...When We the family went to identify his body he was swollen and bruised we didn't think we were looking at the right person he didn't look like Ronnie..Oh yeah his LEFT EYE WAS MISS FROM HIS BODY....Skuffle I think not....I watch him grow I changed his diapers and I also cried with him as his brother who was 18 yrs old was killed last year in December..So no one is going to attach my family....NO ONE....and edEX your good riddance comment...I hope one day your mother or son is kill in the street like a common dog and I say good riddance to you.

Basmah Allen

ed_Extinct

good riddance.

Snoopy

I can just imagine how the aunt's other nieces and nephews are if she describes him as "a good person, a very nice person."

He could have made a decent life out of his failures. His problem is he couldn't shoot straight and the previous nine arrests were all false. He was at the library studying for his doctorate in social work when those crimes were committed. Just check out his library card record.

johnieBK

He was a very nice person who wouldn't think twice about robbing and killing you for $10. Those "nice person" statements never cease to amaze me. The community should be happy a thug who terrorized them is off their streets. A guy like this does not terrorize white neighborhoods, he preys on his own.