An officer was struck by bullets when he and another New York Police Department (NYPD) officer shot and killed a man with a knife in a Brooklyn train station, according to body camera footage released Friday.
Police Officer Edmund Mays and his colleague Officer Alex Wong were inadvertently shot when they confronted and fired shots at Derrell Mickles, 37, at the Sutter Avenue L Train station on September 15 at approximately 3:07 p.m., police said. NYPD VideoTwo passersby were also reportedly shot.
According to the video, a man whom the NYPD identified as Mickles jumped over a subway station ticket barrier around 2:55 p.m., apparently to avoid paying his fare, and Officers May and Wong confronted Mickles at the station.
Security camera video footage showed Mickles clutching a folding knife as he left the room.
According to the video, Mickles illegally re-entered the station around 3:04 p.m., this time through the exit gate, and officers again pursued him and confronted him on the northbound elevated platform.
Officers demanded Mickles' hands (which were behind his back) and ordered him to put down the knife.
According to the video, Mickles responds, “No! I'm not dropping it unless you shoot me,” to which the officers add, “Leave me alone,” and “Leave me alone.” Mickles leans over and yells at the officers, refusing to comply with their calls and retreating toward a northbound L train. (RELATED: 'It's Okay, It's Okay': Aggressive assault suspect who brandished knife at officer turns himself in after police shooting, video shows)
Officers deployed their Tasers after Mickles brandished a knife, but video footage shows the Tasers failed to immobilize him.
Brandishing the knife, Mickles backed away from the train and tried to escape, but two police officers surrounded him and shot him down. Mickles looked stunned and still clutched the knife, but Officer Mays kicked it away.
While officers were assisting the suspect, a bystander, not seen on the video, reportedly took Mickles' knife. Officers reportedly recovered the knife.
The NYPD said in the video that Officer Wong fired six shots and Officer Mays fired three shots.
Officer Mays can be heard in the video saying, “He's shot.”
Officer Mays and two injured bystanders were reportedly treated at a local hospital.
The NYPD reportedly arrested and charged Mickles with attempted first-degree assault, criminal intimidation of a police officer, theft of services and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.
