When cops shoot
The decisions made in the encounters can be split-second, the scenes chaotic and dangerous. And since April 2016, nine police-involved shootings in the Capital Region have ended up with a civilian either injured or dead. The Times Union today looks at those cases, the circumstances surrounding the gunfire, who was struck by police bullets, how police have justified their decisions and other aftermaths, such as how the community reacted. Also explored: What are police doing to better prepare for the situations and avoid having to fire at all?
When: Aug. 20, 2018 Where: 395 Elk St., Albany Who: Ellazar Williams, 19. Injured. Police account: Williams matched the description of the man who displayed a gun in a fight at a store on Central Avenue and fled when police arrived. Three detectives pursued Williams because he matched the description. Police said Williams was holding a knife when he tripped while running from officers behind the Tony Clement Center for Education. Based on surveillance video police have shown publicly, Williams dropped the knife, then picked it back up as Detective James Olsen ordered him to stay down, police said. Olsen shot twice at Williams, one of the bullets hitting him in the back of the shoulder and lodging in his spine. As a result Williams is paralyzed from the waist down. No gun was recovered, but police said they found a large hunting knife near Williams after the shooting. Police couldn’t definitively say whether Williams was standing, getting up or still on the ground when the shots were fired. Aftermath: Williams was charged with felony menacing and misdemeanor weapons possession. At a protest on Tuesday, participants called for the release of surveillance video and 911 phone calls related to the incident. During a news conference Thursday, police showed surveillance video of the shooting and said it was justified because as soon as Williams went to pick up the knife he was rearming himself and became a threat to the detective. The matter is under review by Albany County District Attorney David Soares.
When: June 22, 2018 Where: 61 Partridge St., Albany Who: Schuyler Lake, 20. Killed. Police account: Officers responded to a residence around 11:30 p.m. for a report of a person with a weapon. When they arrived, Lake’s 52-year-old mother was unconscious at the foot of the stairs and suffering from stab wounds. As police tried to break down the door to help her, Lake appeared at the top of the stairs holding a knife. He walked down and began to stab his mother again. Officers demanded he drop the knife, but he did not. Police broke the glass door and Officer Elston Mackey stuck his hand through the glass and fired several rounds. Aftermath: Lake’s mother, as well as his uncle, who was also stabbed, were taken to the hospital. Albany Police Chief Robert Sears said, at a news conference following the incident, that the shooting was “must and just” and that the “actions of the officers saved the woman’s life.”
When: Aug. 15, 2017 Where: Near Eighth and Rensselaer streets, Troy Who: Dahmeek Mcdonald, 22. Injured. Police account: Police tried to pull over Mcdonald, who was wanted for a parole violation. Mcdonald, who was unarmed, began driving toward Officer Jarrod Iler, which a ballistics analysis “largely corroborated.” Iler fired four shots at the vehicle; one of the bullets went through Mcdonald’s forearm and the other grazed his temple. Aftermath: Video, showing police arresting a bloodied Mcdonald, sparked a protest in the community and demands that Iler be held accountable. Iler testified before a grand jury. The jury determined Iler’s actions justified and announced in July 2018, that he would not face any criminal charges and he was cleared. Shortly after, people gathered outside Troy police headquarters protesting the grand jury’s decision.
When: July 28, 2017 Where: 10 Pashley Road, Glenville Who: Brian Skinner, 32. Killed. Police account: Police went to Skinner’s house after he called 911 twice and said he was in the basement while his boyfriend was upstairs with a gun, which police determined was untrue. Minutes after police arrived, Skinner allegedly charged at them while wielding a kitchen knife with an 8-inch blade. Glenville Sgt. Matthew Weise and Scotia officers Danielle Peck and Mark Kopczynski fired nine shots. Skinner was hit six times, authorities said. Glenville Officer Benjamin Ferretti was injured when one of the bullets struck him in the lower abdomen. Aftermath: Officials said they believe Skinner, who was a fifth-grade teacher at Shenendehowa’s Orenda Elementary School, had orchestrated his own “suicide by cop.” Police said Skinner had previously attempted suicide and that his actions left officers no choice but to use deadly force. The injured officer, Ferretti, is suing the village, alleging that the rookie cop Peck acted negligently and wasn’t trained properly.