New York police released bodycam footage Thursday showing the tense buildup to the fatal shooting of a Jamaican male student by lawmen inside his apartment in the Bronx area of New York City last week.
The footage shows 31-year-old Miguel Richards holding a knife and what turned out to be a fake gun, though the cameras didn’t capture a clear picture of the moment when officers opened fire.
It was the first fatal police encounter recorded on the devices since officers began wearing them this year.
Police were called to the Bronx home of Richards on September 6 after his landlord reported he hadn’t seen him for days.
The videos, shot by cameras worn by four officers, show how police pleaded with Richards for several minutes to drop his weapons and show his hands.
Officer Mark Flemming shines a flashlight into Richards’ bedroom as the information technology student, wearing dark glasses and holding a knife, stands motionless behind his bed. He never speaks.
“Put your hand up, dude, and drop the knife,” Flemming says calmly. “I don’t want to shoot you. Put your hand up and drop that knife.”
A friend called to the apartment by the landlord frantically begs Richards to drop the knife and put his hands up.
About 15 minutes in, the officers notice Richards has a gun behind his back.
“Drop that gun, dude. Drop that gun,” Flemming says. “Is that a real gun you’ve got there? Ricardo, I don’t want to shoot you if you’ve got a fake gun in your hand. You hear me? But I will shoot you if that’s a real gun.”
What happens next is partly obscured by the officers’ arms and the walls. Another officer, Jesus Ramos, quickly enters the bedroom with a stun gun. There is a loud bang — police said from the stun gun discharging — a thump, then 16 gunshots.
The four officers at the scene included Flemming, who fired nine times, and Redmond Murphy, who fired seven times. Another officer, Marco Oliveras, didn’t shoot.
You must log in to post a comment.