Demonstrators mob subway station in Manhattan
MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) -- Crowds of protesters mobbed a subway station in Manhattan Wednesday night in response to the Sunday shooting at a Brooklyn subway station.
Demonstrators were seen jumping turnstiles at the West 4th Street station and chanting obscenities at responding NYPD officers.
The chaos broke out onto the streets, as officers were seen detaining individuals involved.
The shooting on Sunday reportedly happened when police officers pursued a man accused of fare evasion.
Officers followed the suspect, Derell Mickles, 37, throughout the Sutter Avenue subway station on Sunday after he allegedly didn’t pay the $2.90 fare, according to the NYPD. He is accused of charging at the officers with a knife, which is when they fired their guns, police said.
Mickles, two bystanders, and an NYPD officer were all injured in the shooting, according to police. The 49-year-old bystander was shot in the head, sources said.
The bystander, identified by his family as Gregory Delpeche, was heading to work when shots rang out. Delpeche had surgery to reduce swelling in his brain.
Another bystander, a 26-year-old woman, was grazed in the leg, according to sources.
Protesters also gathered on Tuesday to call for free public transportation. They argued that there wouldn’t be a need for enforcement activity underground if there were no cost to ride the subways. The NYPD’s presence in subways increased following a string of crimes earlier this year.
Interim Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon and top brass from the NYPD addressed the incident on Wednesday to brief the public on the investigation.
“I want to state that some of the narratives discussed by people, that we shot someone over $2.90 – which is wrong and frankly irresponsible.” NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell said.
Officials noted the police body camera footage from the incident will be released in the coming days.
Ben Mitchell is a digital content producer from Vermont who has covered both local and international news since 2021. He joined PIX11 in 2024. See more of his work here.