An unarmed man in a Brooklyn, New York , apartment complex was accidentally shot and killed when police opened fire on a man who was threatening women and children with a knife. The man was shot in the back and was pronounced dead after the incident.
According to the the Los Angeles Times , 47-year-old Fancisco Carvajal was armed with a knife and was threatening a women and two children, ages 6 and 7. The woman and children were locked in bathroom, hiding form Carvajal as he threatened them with a knife. Another man, 51-year-old Rafael Laureano, also entered the apartment to help the woman and children.
When police arrived on the scene, Carvajal refused to drop the knife. After multiple requests, the police officers opened fire on Carvajal, killing him.
A police source explained, “After ordering the suspect to drop the knife multiple times, police discharged their firearms striking the armed individual. The 47-year-old male was pronounced dead.”
According to reports, Carvajal was attempting to cut his way through the bathroom door when the police arrived. The officers broke down the front door to gain access, and Laureano rushed in to save the woman and children despite attempts to be stopped by the sergeant.
Rafael Laureano was also shot by the New York City Police by accident. He happened to be in the line of fire and sustained trauma to the torso. When he arrived at the hospital, he was pronounced dead on arrival.
During the shoot out, 10 shots were fired into the apartment. An autopsy revealed that Carvajal was hit nine times, with four of the bullets exiting his body and the other five remaining inside. It is unclear whether the 10th bullet struck and killed Laureano or if one of the exited bullets took his life.
The woman and children were not harmed in the incident.
Both men’s death have been ruled as homicides. The New York police officers involved in the shooting have not yet been identified, and an investigation is currently underway.
The killing of an unarmed man by police is the newest in a string of similar cases across the country. Could it be that New York Police officers are taking a tougher stance against crime, along with the other 49 states, or is there higher tension between police and suspected criminals? How do you feel about Laureano’s tragic end? Was he a victim of circumstance due to his disregard of the police’s request, or should better precautions have been taken?
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