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Cops Fired 84 Times At Murder Suspect Because "He Kept Pointing The Gun At Us"
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 26, 2012
Modified Apr 26, 2012
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Gothamist
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 26, 2012
Modified Apr 26, 2012
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On Tuesday, police officers fired at a murder suspect who allegedly fired once at them in Harlem. It turned out that the suspect, Steven Murray, fired once while the two cops returned fire to the tune of 84 shots. Now one of the cops has explained why: "He kept pointing the gun at us. He’s a bad dude."
That's what Officer Joseph P. Robinson told the Post. Robinson fired 45 shots at Murray while Sgt. Alex Mesa fired 39 times. Mesa said, "Thankfully, I’m fine. I’m just glad everything turned out OK. I do feel bad for the victims," referring to Murray's 13-year-old sister, who was fatally shot in the head, and Murray's mother, Christine Fryar, who was shot many times but survived.
Murray had 14 entrance and exit wounds. Witnesses say they heard the police, who were canvassing the area, ask Murray to drop his weapon. Former NYPD Chief Louis Anemone writes in the Daily News today, "As the NYPD’s former chief of department, I can assure New Yorkers that the volume of bullets in Tuesday’s shooting was an aberration — but probably a necessary one. And I can also guarantee the Police Department will look closely at the officers’ actions and evaluate whether every single round discharged was appropriate under the circumstances," adding, "The officers properly took cover, and from a distance of approximately 70 feet returned fire until the suspect was no longer threatening them with a gun. The poor lighting, the distance between the officers and suspect, the absence of civilians in the area and the suspect’s refusal to comply with repeated orders account for the number of rounds fired."
Tagged
annie fryar
christine fryar
gun violence
harlem shooting
murder
police involved shooting
shooting
steven murray
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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