A recent shooting incident at the Sutter Avenue subway station in Brooklyn has left two innocent bystanders and an officer injured, with at least one person in critical condition. The police fired multiple shots while apprehending a suspected fare evader, raising significant concerns about the police response.
According to preliminary reports, the suspect, identified as Derell Mickles, allegedly entered the subway without paying and was chased onto the platform by officers. The situation escalated when Mickles reportedly charged at the officers with a knife, prompting them to fire several shots, hitting Mickles in the abdomen before taking him into custody. Tragically, two other individuals on the platform were also struck, one of whom suffered a gunshot wound to the head and remains in serious condition.
Gothamist reports that the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office is preparing to charge Mickles with attempted assault and fare evasion. It has also come to light that Mickles possessed a legal knife at the time of the incident, which may prevent charges for illegal weapon possession.
However, just a day after the shooting, police revealed that an unidentified individual had taken the knife from Mickles during the chaotic scene, suggesting that the weapon previously confiscated by officers was not the one used in the altercation. The district attorney’s office has not yet commented on this new development.
The incident has sparked widespread controversy. Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, the majority whip of the City Council, along with Yusef Salaam, chair of the Public Safety Committee, issued a statement emphasizing that this case raises “serious questions about the police use of force and safety strategies within the public transit system.”
The City Council’s Progressive Caucus also condemned the idea that someone could be shot over a $2.90 subway fare and criticized the officers for what they described as a severe lack of judgment. They are demanding the release of police body camera footage. Additionally, left-wing groups have organized protests at the subway station where the incident occurred.
Conversely, an NYPD spokesperson defended the officers’ actions, stating that Mickles’ behavior with the knife constituted a direct threat to their safety, and the gunfire was a necessary response to that danger, not merely a reaction to fare evasion.
Chris Mercado, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, explained that police are permitted to use deadly force if they reasonably believe they are in imminent danger. Yet, he noted that they must later provide adequate justifications for their actions based on law enforcement records in order to avoid liability. Jill Snider, another instructor at John Jay, clarified that under NYPD guidelines, officers may defend themselves within a 21-foot radius when faced with a potential threat from an armed individual. In this context, she indicated that the officers’ decision to use their firearms appears justifiable.
