In a recent incident that resulted in “friendly fire,” a pair of NYPD cops were involved in a shooting that left one officer and two bystanders wounded while on active duty. The department stated that the investigation is still ongoing and that there is no change in the duty status of these officers. They are currently under scrutiny by the Force Investigation Division.
The events took place at a Brooklyn subway station when a deranged fare beater attacked the police officers with a knife on an L train, prompting them to open fire. This led to the injury of not only the suspect but also one officer and two straphangers. Both the injured officer and bystanders are expected to survive their wounds. The condition of the attacker, identified as career criminal Derrell Mickles, remains unclear.
The incident occurred shortly after 3 p.m. at the Sutter Avenue station when the two officers allegedly saw Mickles jump the turnstile and followed him onto the platform. Both Tasers were used to subdue Mickles when he became more hostile and refused to cooperate, but neither charge managed to stop him from lunging at one of the officers with a knife. This led to both officers firing nine shots combined, resulting in multiple injuries.
As the situation unfolded, the police officers handcuffed Mickles while realizing that he had been hit along with themselves and two other passengers. NYPD Chief of Department Jeffery Maddrey confirmed at a briefing Sunday that “everyone that was struck this afternoon we believe was by our officers.
According to NYPD guidelines, officers are authorized to use deadly force if there is a potentially deadly threat against them or civilians in the vicinity. However, one law enforcement source noted that it is routine for cops who discharge their weapons to be placed on modified duty during an investigation, suggesting that this incident may have been handled differently.
To further complicate matters, a manhunt was launched for a suspect who stole the knife allegedly used by Mickles to attack the officers. The NYPD released a wanted poster featuring a man wearing a light blue baseball cap, a long sleeve shirt with a pattern, and blue jeans.
