NYPD Officers Forced Into Difficult Shooting Scenario

My headline was not the one I read on a mainstream media news website.  It said something like, “NYPD Shoots Nine Bystanders Before Killing Suspect.”  Considering  that in a crowd of people, the two officers shot sixteen bullets and hit a gun-wielding homicide suspect nine times at center of mass, I’d say my headline is closer to reality.

The suspect, Jeffrey Johnson, is seen at the top center of the video walking toward the left and carrying a briefcase.  Officers Craig Matthews and Robert Sinishtaj enter from the top right.  Johnson was walking from the scene where he had just shot a co-worker five times in the head with a .45 ACP pistol, killing him.  A construction worker pointed out the gunman to the officers.

Because there were over a dozen innocent citizens at close proximity on the sidewalk, the two officers were presented with a difficult lethal force scenario outside the Empire State building on Friday.  The suspect provoked a response when he plainly points his handgun at the officers.  In turn, they eliminate him as a threat.

Of the nine bystanders hurt, three suffered “direct” gunshot wounds and the remaining six had “indirect” injuries either from bullet or concrete fragments, according to New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.  None of the citizens suffered life threatening injuries, though two remained hospitalized at Bellevue.

I agree with Commissioner Kelly’s statement that the officers, both fifteen year veterans of the NYPD, had no choice but to fire.  The suspect had just shot his victim six times.  The officers were in very close proximity with a murder suspect who drew his handgun and pointed it at them.

No officer wants to inflict injury to an innocent citizen.  It is part of our job that we do not engineer the shoot/don’t shoot scenario.  The suspect does.  Our actions are reactive, timed and placed by the decisions made by the offender.

I’m sure these officers will be vilified in the media and in civil court.  That, too, is unfortunately part of our job.  Under incredibly difficult circumstances, I think that Ofc’s Matthews and Sinishtaj performed their sworn duty, went into harm’s way, and neutralized a killer.  There’s the headline.

Randall

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6 Responses to NYPD Officers Forced Into Difficult Shooting Scenario

  1. Ron Larimer says:

    I agree they had every right to shoot him, there is no question or doubt… but it also seems pretty clear (in retrospect) that it is a case of suicide by cop.

    The closet officer is in control, steps towards(ish) cover adopts a position that looks like a shooting position (not exactly a good one) and shoots at the suspect… Good job.

    What does need to be discussed by someone is the second officer. He appears to be approaching the suspect with his gun fully pressed out with one hand and in more that one instant seems to have it pointed at the back of his partners head. He never even attempts to get a 2 hand grip and circles away from cover so that he is shooting across the street.

    It is a dynamic situation… I get that. But these guys are using 12lbs triggers that REQUIRE perfect trigger control to make a hit. Shooting one handed while running away from cover isn’t going to get it done.

    • Randall says:

      Ron,

      I’ve watched it over two dozen times. It appears that the Two-handed shooter cuts in front of the One-handed shooter at the outset, crossing his muzzle. Two then dodges back again in front of One. It looks like One had a bead on the suspect from the beginning and Two was startled when he saw him.

      I could surmise that One breaks left, away from the cover of the planters, because there are fewer pedestrians in his view toward the street, thus a better shooting situation. All of this is conjecture because we can’t see what the officers are seeing.

      Although a two-handed shooting stance is more stable, we don’t know if One made more hits while himself in motion. The distance was short.

      Randall

      • Ron Larimer says:

        In my post I discuss just about everything you mention. However…

        Who’s job is it to keep that muzzle from crossing his head?

        On the video alone, (that’s all we have) would you prefer to be the 2 handed shooter or the one handed?

        If you have video of your partner lasering you at least twice, would you not say anything?

        • Randall says:

          Ron,

          Professionally speaking, it is my job not to laser my partner. It is my partner’s job to be aware of my muzzle and not to dart in front of it. Things are more controlled on the square range. On the street, they are, as you said, dynamic. That’s why God created trigger discipline.

          On the video alone, I want to be the guy that would hit nine for nine or seven for seven either one-hand or two-handed.

          If I had video of my partner lasering me, I’d want to de-brief it to see which one of us made the compromise and why.

          This can be table-topped all day long. I have been lasered on patrol and SWAT operations and I probably will be again (maybe Wednesday night when I go back to work). If everyone keeps a cool head and shoots only when necessary and with good target acquisition and background, then we will have trained for the best outcome in an imperfect world.

          Randall

  2. Mike says:

    I’m originally from New York City and nobody has more respect for NYPD than I do. Where they should, however, be criticized is their ridiculous heavy triggers and consistently inadequate firearms training.

  3. David Mclaren says:

    NYPD has historically had horrible firearms training. Most officers exhibit very poor firearms handling skills and poor marksmanship. It’s not that the officers are not capable of learning to shoot properly. The training and conditioning is just very poor. Poor and unsafe weapons handling are essentially tollerated by the firearms staff.

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