Several Brooklyn lawmakers were demanding a full investigation into police shooting to death an unarmed man in East New York public housing development.
According to the New York Times, NYPD Police Commissioner William Bratton said the victim, Akai Gurley, was “a total innocent” and called the shooting “an unfortunate accident.”
He was not engaged in any activity other than trying to walk down the stairs, Mr. Bratton said.
Mayor Bill de Blasio was also quick to offer his condolences to Mr. Gurley’s family. “This is a tragedy,” he said.
The officer who shot Mr. Gurley, Peter Liang, has been on the force for less than 18 months and was still on probationary status.
Officer Liang, 27, and his partner, who was also new to the force, were patrolling the Louis H. Pink Houses on Thursday night, part of an effort to increase the police presence at the housing complex, which had been plagued by a spate of violence, including two homicides.
Several Brooklyn lawmakers were demanding a full investigation into police shooting to death an unarmed man in East New York public housing development.
