14 DAY TRIAL // A 16-year-old boy has been fatally shot by NY police in Brooklyn, over the weekend. The incident is sparking debates as witnesses are now claiming that the boy has posed no threat to the officers.
He was standing in the street with a group of friends, in front of one of the houses in the area, Pix 11 writes. According to witness accounts, they were met by a team from the Brooklyn South Anti-Crime Unit, who were on patrol at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 10.
Officers claimed that the teen was acting suspiciously, pulling away from his friends and adjusting his waistband in a manner indicating that he had a gun. They describe approaching him and being threatened with a 38-caliber revolver.
After allegedly pointing the gun at policemen, Kimani Gray was shot several times on East 52nd Street in East Flatbush. Both officers used their weapons to shoot Gray.
Witness Camille Johnson explained that Gray was forced to try to escape the officers, as they shot at him without provocation.
"He was running for his life, telling the cops, 'Stop.' These cops is ridiculous. They really are, seriously, walking around, shooting people's kids. […] Now they came down here and shot somebody's child," she says.
Friends have stated that the victim was returning home from a baby shower. He has been transported to Kings County Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead, News 12 Brooklyn notes.
Gray was no stranger to the cops, as he had a record that included arrests for multiple crimes. He has been in custody before for grand larceny, grand theft auto and inciting a riot.
The officers have also been treated for minor injuries at Kings County. Their identities have not been made public at this time, as an investigation into the shooting is ongoing.