After more than a month of uncertainty surrounding an accidental gun firing by a police officer at Kingston-Throop station on Sept. 10, the NYPD has released body-cam footage and additional details about the incident. Another police officer and bystander at the station were injured, and the civilian required emergency medical attention.
Initially, police told the Gothamist that no one was struck during the incident, but days later issued a statement saying that a bullet fragment came into contact with bystanders.
At first, additional details remained unclear, and Councilmember Chi Ossé demanded more information.
“My office will not accept vague explanations and a lack of transparency as an answer,” he wrote on Instagram eleven days after the incident.
After a request for the police report, the Deputy Commissioner for Public Information provided a video report to BKReader on Oct. 9.
The video identified Police Officer Sherresse Tyler as the officer who discharged one round from her service firearm, while she and another officer, Wahed Newaz, were assigned to a foot post in the subway station.
According to the report, a discharged bullet at the bottom of her service holster fired and struck the ground, causing the bullet to fragment. The fragment injured Tyler’s left shin, Newaz’s left forearm and a civilian’s left ear.
The civilian was then transported via ambulance to NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull and released, while the officers were taken to NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County to be treated and released.
In response to subsequent information, Ossé’s office issued the following statement:
“The events of Sept. 10 should have never occurred. I am pleased to hear that an investigation is underway. However, it is concerning that it took the NYPD this long to pursue one, and our neighbors in Bed-Stuy deserve answers in a timely manner.”
Body-cam footage shows the officers stationed at the bottom of the subway station’s steps. As the bullet fires, bystanders turn their heads at the firing of the bullet, and both Tyler and Newaz appear confused.
According to the NYPD, their Force and Investigation Division will continue to investigate and analyze the incident.
In response to follow-up questions regarding how the gun was loaded, compensation processes after injuries and steps to prevent the incident from occurring in the future, the DCPI did not immediately respond to request for comment.
