Police Shooting In Queens Leaves 1 Man Dead
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- One man is dead following a police-involved shooting early Sunday morning.
CBS2 reported several police officers were also sent to the hospital as a precaution in the incident at 116th Avenue and 135th Street in the South Ozone Park section of Queens.
The chaos erupted when plainclothes police officers approached 32-year-old George Tillman standing outside a double-parked SUV, with a gun in his waistband, police said. Tillman fled on foot, and after officers gave him commands, police said Tillman reached for his gun. That's when the cops opened fire. A 40-caliber firearm was recovered at the scene, police say.
It's unknown if the suspect fired his weapon, or how many times he was shot by officers before being taken to Jamaica Hospital, where he died around 1:30 a.m.
"I did hear at least five to eight shots... I heard a blood curdling scream," one witness told CBS2's Steve Langford.
1010 WINS' Roger Stern reported a witness told the New York Daily News the suspect was shot in the back.
Police said the incident only involved one suspect.
The victim's family said they want answers as to why police fatally shot Tillman, who is a father of five from Maryland. Some witnesses at the scene claimed off-camera the man never reached for his weapon
"The cops shot an innocent person, a loving father, husband and a very good family man," Helen Leak, the victim's aunt, said. "We lost a good person. That's all we can say."
Barry Wilson, Tillman's uncle, said the victim worked in Maryland as a steel worker and was in New York visiting family. He said that Tillman was with his wife, Missy, and cousin when their car was approached by police.
Wilson claims Tillman was shot in the back in front of his wife.
The crime scene was being examined meticulously Saturday evening hours after the shooting. Neighbors in the area were visibly shaken by the incident.