Last night an unarmed Brooklyn man was fatally shot by a rookie NYPD officer. Read more inside.
It looks as though another one bites the dust in what was labeled as an an “unfortunate tragedy,” by NYPD Commissioner William Bratton this morning, and yes I am referring to another death in the African American community brought to you by the NYPD.
Victim, Akai Gurley, 28, spent the evening getting his hair done in his girlfriends apartment inside the Louis Pink housing projects. A little after 11:00 PM Gurley and his girlfriend left the seventh floor apartment. The couple attempted to take the elevator down but when the elevator would not work they entered the buildings stairwell.
In the same moment two NYPD officers were patrolling inside the building.
Upon entering the stairwell on the eight floor (one flight above Gurley and girlfriend) Officer Peter Liang drew his gun and flashlight. That is when Gurley and his girlfriend (Melissa Butler) also entered the stairwell. Upon Gurley and Butler entering the stairwell Officer Liang fired one round from the eighth floor landing striking 28 year old Gurley in the chest.
Gurley and Butler then began to run down the stairs before Gurley collapsed on the fifth floor. Gurley was transported to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police Commissioner William Bratton said that according to a preliminary investigation, “it appears this may have been an accidental discharge.” Gurley “was not engaged in any criminal activity of any type,” Bratton said. <-- *GASPS* You don't say!!!!! “He didn’t do nothing wrong," Butler said of Gurley, to the New York Daily News. "He was just standing there and they shot him. He was an innocent man.” Liang, Bratton said, has been on the force less than 18 months and was on probationary assignment to the housing bureau. Many may say how can you place the race card and ok you can have that dark stair case how could he know it was going to a black man ( we are talking about Pink Houses here what other type of man would it be. Any way my whole thing is why should my safety be entrusted to someone who is in fear of me at all times? If you are constantly afraid for your life maybe NYPD is not the job for you because your fear will cost the lives of others. These police officers are so trigger happy it's ridiculous. I must ask is this what these officers are trained to do in these situations. Again another black life is laid to the way side over what again? BLOHNDIE OUT...
