NYPD Officer Kills a civillian Man In Brooklyn

An unarmed 28 year old Brooklyn man was shot dead
on Thursday night November 20th and police say it
was just an 'unfortunate tragedy' because he wasn't
targeted.
The victim, Akai Gurley, (pictured above) had
spent the evening at his girlfriend's apartment
inside the Louis Pink housing projects.

The couple
left the seventh floor apartment around 11:15 p.m.
and tried to take an elevator down to the bottom
floor. When the elevator wouldn't work, they
entered the stairwell."

Two officers, meanwhile, were conducting a
vertical patrol -- also known as a top to bottom
patrol -- inside the building. Upon entering the
"dark" stairwell on the eighth floor, Bratton said,
Officer Peter Liang drew his gun and flashlight as
a safety precaution. That's when Gurley and his
girlfriend -- identified by the New York Daily News
as Melissa Butler -- also entered the stairwell.
At that moment, Liang fired one round from the
eighth floor landing. Gurley, who was on the
seventh floor landing, was struck in the chest.
The wounded man and his girlfriend then ran
down the stairs before Gurley collapsed on the
fifth floor. Under instructions from a 911
operator, Butler then tried to administer first aid.

Gurley was transported to Brookdale Hospital,
where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

New York City Police Commissioner William
Bratton said that according to a preliminary
investigation, "it appears this may have been an
accidental discharge." Gurley "was not engaged in
any criminal activity of any type. He didn't do
nothing wrong. He was just standing there and
they shot him. He was an innocent man." Bratton
said.

Liang, Bratton said, has been on the force less
than 18 months and was on probationary
assignment to the housing bureau. Liang and the
other officer were taken to the hospital to be
treated for tinnitus, which is a ringing noise inside
the ears, often caused by gunfire.

Bratton said he talked Friday morning to Brooklyn
District Attorney Ken Thompson, who's
investigating the incident. NYPD Internal Affairs is
also investigating.
Source: Huffington Post