NYPD: Armed Suspect Killed In Police-Involved Shooting On Belt Parkway
UPDATE 11/14/2021: New York Attorney General's Office Investigating Death Of Man Shot By Police On Belt Parkway
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- There was a fatal police-involved shooting Thursday afternoon on the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn.
NYPD Chief of Department Rodney Harrison said the incident happened following a traffic stop by a member of the Highway Unit near the eastbound Bay 8th Street exit at around 3 p.m.
Harrison said as the officer approached a gray Jeep Cherokee, the driver sped away east on the parkway and the officer followed in pursuit.
"The officer followed the car and positioned her unmarked car in front of his vehicle. The male then rear ended the officer's car in the vicinity of the Verrazzano Bridge and continued east, driving on the Belt Parkway without stopping," Harrison said.
The officer then requested backup and a second Highway Unit vehicle responded, and the suspect was pulled over about 200 yards east of the Bay Parkway Avenue entrance, Harrison said.
The 65-year-old suspect then exited the Jeep and approached the police vehicles with a gun, Harrison said, adding officers then exited their vehicles and repeatedly told the suspect to drop his weapon, but he did not comply. That's something witness Adam Butler of Brooklyn corroborated to CBS2, saying police ordered the suspect to put down his weapon "a number of times."
Harrison said, "The subject continued to advance towards the officers, at which time two officers fired multiple rounds at the individual, striking him several times."
The suspect was taken to Lutheran Hospital, where he later died.
"The gentleman said, 'You're not gonna stop me. You have to let me go, you have to let me go,' and at some point when he raised the gun high enough, I think the cops had to at least get him on the ground," Butler said. "He was rolling on the ground. Even after being shot, he was still attempting to shoot back.
"They weren't trying to use deadly force, but he was actively trying to shoot," Butler added. "He was raising the weapon trying to shoot back. What are you supposed to do after that?"
Harrison said the suspect's gun was recovered at the scene, and said he had seven prior arrests.
Evidence markers placed at the scene resulted in traffic being stopped in both directions on the parkway, but the westbound side later reopened.
Harrison was asked about the potential danger to motorists and pedestrians in the area.
"It was it's a dangerous situation, but it's what we do in the New York City Police Department. We we protect people. But those that choose to carry guns, we hold them accountable. Unfortunately, there happened to be a negative ending, but we did what we had to do to stop the threat," Harrison said.
CBS2's Jessica Layton contributed to this report. This story was first posted on Nov. 11, 2021.
