August 25, 2012 5:44 PM ET
Two weeks ago, the NYPD shot at least 12 rounds in crowded Times Square at 51 year old Darius Kennedy, who had mental health issues and was waving a knife as he walked down 7th Avenue.
Some of the rounds could have injured or killed innocent bystanders.
In fact, at least one of those rounds were found embedded in the doorway of a nearby building.
Two days later an NYPD officer shot an innocent dog on 14th Street and 2nd Avenue, again in one of Manhattan's busiest neighborhoods.
The dog was barking as she protected her owner, a man who many described as being homeless, and who had passed out in the street.
Eddie Huang, a well known chef and owner of BaoHaus restaurant described the incident this way, "We heard the gunshot, and we all ducked, and saw people running and screaming. All of the sudden, our chef Mitch ran towards the gunshot. He was like Yo, it’s that dog in front of KFC—because there’s always this dog in front of KFC—and by the time I get there, I can see the dog whipping around and convulsing."
Again, innocent bystanders could have been injured or killed by shots fired by a New York City police officer.
Then, on Friday August 24, 2012, less than two weeks after the NYPD shot that innocent dog, NYPD officers Craig Matthews and Robert Sinishtaj opened fire on 58 year old Jeffrey Johnson, a disgruntled, laid off ex-employee of Hazan Import Corp., a clothing accessory company, who had just shot and killed Steve Ercolino, the company's vice president after he had walked into the company around 9 am.
According to the NYPD, Officer Craig Matthews fired seven times, and Officer Robert Sinishtaj fired nine times.
Neither Matthews or Sinishtaj had ever fired their weapons before on a patrol.
On Saturday, authorities confirmed that NYPD officers Craig Matthews and Robert Sinishtaj fired more than 16 rounds, striking Johnson at least seven times.
A video shows Jeffrey Johnson dressed in a suit, in front of the landmark building on Fifth Avenue at 34th Street, turn towards police, appearing to point a gun at officers when he is shot.
The NYPD also confirmed that nine bystanders who were wounded in the shooting, were injured by bullets fired by police, not Mr. Johnson.
Of the nine shot by police, three were hit directly by bullets, while six were injured by bullet fragments that ricocheted off of the concrete pavement and/or planters.
Three people remain in the hospital in stable condition.
As always, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, along with NYPD Commisioner Ray Kelly backed the NYPD officers actions and defended the shooting which injured, and could have killed nine innocent bystanders.
When asked by CNN's Don Lemon why were innocent people hit by NYPD officer's bullets, Lou Palumbo, a retired Nassau County, NY Police officer said it's "part of collateral damage."
New York State Rep. Charlie Rangel (D) said he was "shaken" by news of the shooting, which happened "at an hour when many New Yorkers are starting their workday and hundreds of tourists are visiting."
The Big Apple is described as the "Cultural Capital of the World", where tourism is one of New York City's most vital industries, with more than 40 million domestic and international tourists visiting each year, these incidents of shootings by the NYPD in broad daylight, with innocent people around, are very disturbing.
Combine that with the NYPD's history of being the most corrupt police force in the country, and it's why I say the NYPD is the gang that can't shoot straight.
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For the past 15 years I have dedicated myself and my passion to exposing police misconduct and corruption. Whether it's exposing injustices such as police executing a mentally ill person, or police coming to someone's home and shooting their innocent family dog, I am always working to put these stories out there, which usually are ignored by mainstream media.
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