Armed Brooklyn Teen Shot in Face By Rookie Cop

question: why is police guy stopping to pickup cellphone?

leaving rookie policeguy to chase Crip member by hisself?

that doesn't make sense.

kid deserved it. thats all i have to say.

The shooting itself seems totally justified in both legal and Darwinian terms. What surprised me about this story is that, apparently, police seem to think they're permitted to stop and search a person because they are dressed in a way that signifies membership in a gang.

As far as I know, there is a constitutionally guaranteed right of association, and it is not illegal to be in a gang. (Though criminal acts done in furtherance of a gang do carry harsher penalties). There is also a guaranteed right not to be searched without judicial warrant or reasonable suspicion. So if a person appears to belong to an organization known for criminal activity, but which is not per se illegal, how is it legally justifiable to search them? If I slick my dark hair back, dress in a pinstripe suit, and carry a violin case, do the police have a right to search me?

It's possible, y'know, that he might have been well known to the cops for a variety of reasons.

Plus:

Police sources tell the Daily News that Harvey "acted nervous and kept adjusting his waistband" when police approached him at approximately 2:30 p.m. near Winthrop Avenue and East 93rd Street. Harvey then bolted and started running toward his home, but the police say he "fumbled" and dropped his .357-magnum revolver (pictured, via MyFox NY).

How Not to Get Your Ass Kicked by the Police

i really enjoy gothamist very much. however, the majority of the stories concerning the police department are so egregiously biased as to border on the ridiculous. it is clear that the writers hate the police. ok, when misconduct is present it needs to be exposed. but when stories such as this highlight absurd points such as an unloaded gun, the opinions of neighbors and other unverified claims it leaves your outlet looking silly.

Good job unnamed rookie officer. One less thug in our city. Now get out there and get some more.

Promote that probie.

He can hang out in my 'hood any day.

if you're dumb enough to point an unload gun

at anyone, you deserve to get shot.

If you are dumb enough point a gun at a cop, you are probably going to get shot.

I support the NYPD officer who did his job. The kid deserved to get shot, but it's too bad he's not dead, he'd save NY taxpayers a lot of money.

Not a fan of the NYPD, but I got to side with them this time.

he lost face, yo

NYPD needs hollow point bullets. Get more of the trash off the streets. Kudos to the rook. Finally, NYPD doing it's job.

Righteous shooting (for once).

Glad the NYPD is being more efficient with their bullets these days...1 is a lot cheaper than 50.

anything all the Gothamist commenters can agree on has got to be a non-story.

Sounds like the rookie paid attention during training. I'm not so sure about the one that turned around to get his cellphone......

it's too bad the gang member wasn't shot dead.

cosigned.

"These probies need to understand that this is a red zone but we’re not out to kill them."

This CO needs to shut his piehole. If anything, the rookie showed rational judgement. Gun pointed at you? Shoot.

And I'm glad to see that in 20 comments, not one asinine "why didn't he shoot him in the wrist." post.

This isn't news. Self defense. Lets move on.

Sounds like a justifiable shooting to me. Don't expect to point a gun at a cop and not get shot.

Also, I'm sick of all these so-called "good people" doing things like pointing guns at cops or mowing down pedestrians with their cars.

Nice job.

These cops need larger caliber rounds. A shot like that should have taken his head off or at least his brainstem.

"These probies need to understand that this is a red zone but we’re not out to kill them."

Are you out to kill the probies by dumping them in a red zone?

What a tool.

I don't think the police officer did anything wrong if in fact, the gun was pointed at him. How was he supposed to know it was not loaded?

Yeah, I'm normally one to criticize the cops when they pull some shady crap, and maybe in an ideal world this could have gone down better. But I'm not gonna criticize a cop for shooting a guy with a gun. Why else would you pick up the gun again, unless you wanted to use it?

Good shoot. Tough shit for the little non-entity.

Boogie down!!!

Without a rush to judgment so common in police shootings, this new officer seems to have been trained in exactly the way an officer should act in this type of a dangerous situation. If you are armed and dangerous, or there is a reasonable belief by the police that you are armed, you will be disarmed by force.

If this was the result of bringing rookies to the red zone, might I suggest getting rid of the other cops that are working there and replace them all with rookies.

Every time Akeem wakes up in the morning and looks in the mirror he will see the results of being a dumb ass.

I am no fan of NYPD, but please...

if cops are on your ass and you drop your gun and try to pick it up... you KNOW the bullets will be coming, I don't care how "good and quiet person" you are. So, if you try to pick it up you are one hard-ass mf, and you can take a bullet.

For the rest of us, a lesson learned: hands off of guns when around cops.

i have no problem with a cop shooting somebody who has just pulled a gun on them.

Akeem? Wasn't that one of the title characters in "Coming to America"?

don't be nervous

don't carry a piece "mexican style".

Sounds like the cop did nothing wrong. Unless of course, he's white in which case Al "Tawana Brawley" Sharpton should be along with his bull horn any minute.

What about citizen's rights to carry weapons, Ides?

Regardless of how you feel about guns, there's a huge difference between carrying a legally registered gun and pointing an illegal one at a cop.

One is something we can debate, the other is just stupid.

sorry, that was supposed to be in response to another poster upthread

So if Police are "Po-Po" Does that make Probies "Pro-Pro?"

Really? Does being a "good, quiet person" mean that you can point guns at people? That trumps the law? Oh, okay!

So what it was unloaded? It was an illegal gun POINTED at a cop by a person associated with a gang. How is this an issue?

"A good, quiet person" with ties to a murderous, drug-dealing, terrorist street gang.

These probies need to understand that this is a red zone but we’re not out to kill them