Footage of two New York City police officers opening fire at a subway station as they confronted a man holding a knife shows they shot at him as he was standing still, his arms by his side and his back to a train.

In the days since Sunday’s shooting, police officials have repeatedly emphasized that the officers fired after Derell Mickles “charged” at one of them, and when their attempts to deescalate the situation and use Tasers had failed — leaving them with little choice but to resort to deadly force to protect themselves and passengers.

The footage, uploaded to the NYPD’s YouTube page Friday, offers a different view of the shooting that not only wounded Mickles but also a bystander, who was hit in the head with a stray bullet. Gregory Delpeche, 49, was sent to the hospital in critical condition, where doctors had to open up his skull to reduce brain swelling, according to his family.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Context is important.

      A knife is “potentially deadly” sitting in a knife block if there are people around because someone could grab it out of the knife block and start stabbing.

      This guy was not posing a threat.

      • aStonedSanta@lemm.ee
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        1 month ago

        I’m not so sure in this situation that I wouldn’t call him a threat. He shrugged off a taser or two?(unsure if they hit their taser darts or whatever) sprinted at an officer with a knife in his hand yelling shoot me if I heard correctly. But shooting at him 9 times is absurd. They shoulda just kept dancing around with him tbh and never drawn their guns only tasers. Or shit find a broom and just use reach he didn’t seem to want to hurt anyone but maybe suicide by cop from the whole sprinting at the cop saying shoot me. Again if I heard correctly.