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NY Attorney General: no charges for cops who shot man in mental health crisis
By
Michelle Bocanegra
Published Apr 1, 2023
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By
Michelle Bocanegra
Published Apr 1, 2023
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New York State Attorney General Tish James will not be seeking criminal charges against two NYPD officers who shot and killed a Crown Heights man — and whose family said was suffering from a mental illness.
The death of Eudes Pierre in December 2021 sparked outrage within the community and among activists who have long sought to remove police from situations involving a person experiencing a mental health crisis.
But a report from James’ Office of Special Investigation said investigators could not prove that officers wrongly used deadly force against Pierre, who lunged toward police with a knife.
According to the report, investigators concluded they “would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt that their use of deadly force against Mr. Pierre was justified under New York law.”
James released police body camera footage relating to the case last month.
Police found Pierre on the street wielding a knife on a walkway along Eastern Parkway, in the early hours of December 20, 2021, according to the report. Investigators said Pierre had called 911 himself.
Police attempted to remove his weapon and followed him down into the subway tunnel, where they tased him, according to the report. Pierre then followed the officers onto street level once more, where the encounter turned fatal.
The report said officers “repeatedly engaged” with Pierre in an attempt to deescalate the situation but to no avail. They fired a total of ten rounds at Pierre who was later declared dead at Kings County Hospital.
Pierre’s family has sued over his death.
Tagged
mental health
nypd
deadly force
tish james
Michelle Bocanegra
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