NYPD: Off-Duty Cop Shoots Unarmed Man In Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An off-duty NYPD sergeant has been placed on modified administrative duty after shooting an unarmed man in the face Thursday morning in Brooklyn.
It happened just before 5 a.m. in front of an elementary school near Livonia and New Jersey avenues in East New York.
Police initially said the 40-year-old sergeant was walking to the subway on his way to work when he noticed a 21-year-old man following him. They exchanged words and the man allegedly said, "you're going to die tonight" and acted like he had a gun.
That's when police said the off-duty cop fired twice, hitting the man in the mouth.
"He was confronted by a male and during this confrontation, he fired two shots at him, striking him once in the face," NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan said.
Later in the day, the story changed, CBS2's Scott Rapoport reported.
"There are certain things that we saw in this investigation that we have questions that are unanswered at this point," said Monahan. "Until we answer that, we felt it was best to place him on modified duty."
Police said the sergeant did not live in the area but often spent time around there. They also said he and the shooting victim knew each other and had a past dispute.
Some resident told CBS2 the sergeant and victim were each defending their respective girlfriends who had a disagreement, culminating with the shots fired.
Investigators said they did not find any weapon on the victim.
"Just to clarify, there was no firearm found at the scene, no firearm recovered," NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said.
When asked whether the shooting was justified, Monahan said, "We're not going to make any determination at this point until we can actually interview everyone that's involved."
The incident happened not far away from PS 13, and for residents living right near the scene, the sound of gunfire was unnerving.
"It brings a scary feeling as to what happens in the neighborhood because you can never tell what could happen at any time," said resident Francis John.
"I never heard it in front of my own doorstep," said another resident. "It's close to home."
Some residents say it can be a rough neighborhood and that gun shots are not uncommon.
"I think it's crazy, all the shooting going on in the neighborhood, mostly among young people," said resident Tasker Jordan. "It's really crazy."
An earlier report by the Associated Press said the encounter was an attempted robbery, but police later said that did not seem to be the case.
The victim was taken to Brookdale Hospital Medical Center in stable condition.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
