Two NYPD Officers Shot Dead, Gunman Kills Self
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Police say a gunman opened fire on two on-duty NYPD officers in Brooklyn Saturday afternoon, killing them both, and later fatally shooting himself.
Police say Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were sitting in their patrol car near the corner of Myrtle and Tompkins Avenues when the 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley approached and shot both of the officers just before 3 p.m.
Brinsley then ran down into the Myrtle-Willoughby subway station where he shot himself dead.
The officers were taken to Woodhull Medical Center, where one of the officers was pronounced dead.
The second officer was pronounced dead later Saturday.
Police say Brinsley shot a woman in Baltimore, Maryland who they believe was his former girlfriend. They say that the woman's mother contacted Baltimore County detectives, saying that Brinsley was posting on the woman's Instagram account.
Police say Baltimore authorities then contacted the NYPD with a wanted flyer for Brinsley, who by that time, had already shot the two NYPD officers.
Police Commissioner William Bratton and Mayor Bill de Blasio held a press conference on the incident at Woodhull Medical Center.
"Tragically too, this is not the first time we have seen such violence. Seven times since 1972, we have seen partners murdered together often in incidents such as this: mindless assassinations without warning. Our officers know this from the memorial walls on our precincts and headquarters...Nevertheless, they do what we expect of them," Bratton said. "We will never forget the two young men who lost their lives today."
The mayor emphasized that people should contact the NYPD if they believe someone has the intention of attacking the police.
"When a police officer is murdered, it tears at the foundation of our society," he said. "This is a point to make clear to all my fellow New Yorkers—that anytime anyone has information that there might be an attack on our police...it is imperative that that be reported immediately."
Elected leaders and activists expressed their outrage at the news of the shooting, with some emphasizing that whatever the Brinsley's motives were, they did not represent the message of those calling for police reform.
"Anger, because as people have taken to the streets to talk about police reform, nowhere in their calls was dealing with retaliation or in anyway hurt innocent police officers, who every day give their life to ensure that our streets are safe," said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
The Rev. Al Sharpton released a statement, saying that he has been in contact with Eric Garner's family, and that they are outraged. He added, "We have stressed at every rally and march that anyone engaged in any violence is an enemy to the pursuit of justice for Eric Garner and Michael Brown. We have been criticized at National Action Network for not allowing rhetoric or chanting of violence and would abruptly denounce it at all of our gatherings. The Garner family and I have always stressed that we do not believe that all police are bad, in fact we have stressed that most police are not bad."
City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito tweeted the following in the hours after the shooting.
