Civil rights attorney says New Rochelle releasing video quickly of police-involved shooting was smart move
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. -- Investigators on Tuesday morning returned to the scene of a police-involved shooting from the afternoon before, on Lincoln Avenue in front of St. Catherine AME Zion Church.
At around 4:30 p.m. on Monday, body cameras worn by three New Rochelle officers recorded the moments leading up to the shooting of a theft suspect.
Civil rights attorney Mayo Bartlett said the quick release of the video was a good decision.
"The fact that it was released so promptly is a plus and that, hopefully at least, will go towards the notion that there's not something being hidden here," Bartlett said.
Video shows two female officers talking to a man about a reported theft from a nearby grocery store. A witness had described the man as "menacing," grabbing and eating food without paying.
"What were you doing in the store? You were eating the food?" an officer asks.
A male officer arrives and tells the man he's under arrest. Then, while being handcuffed, the man starts to struggle.
The male cop tells his colleague to "Tase" the suspect.
"Tase him. Tase him. Tase him ... He's got a gun!" the officer says.
The video ends before the actual shooting. Video stills show the suspect with his hand on a police officer's belt. A statement from New Rochelle says he "grabbed an officer's gun in an attempt to remove it from the holster."
Bartlett, who co-chaired Westchester's Police Reform Commission, said the video shows much to scrutinize.
"You want to look at whether the police did anything to escalate the circumstances or did they act to de-escalate," Bartlett said.
Police said the man survived the shooting and is hospitalized. They have not released his name or updated his condition.