The family of a man involved in the fatal incident in the Bronx is filing a lawsuit against NYPD for the violent encounter.
What We Know:
- On September 29 ,2019, 27-year-old Antonio Williams had spent the evening watching a boxing match on TV with his friends, and afterward was waiting outside for a cab when officer Brian Mulkeen and his partner pulled up in an unmarked police car a little after midnight.
- According to NYPD, Williams was frightened and ran away as the officers approached him. Officer Mulkeen chased and had a violent struggle with Williams soon after. According to authorities, when Williams reached for Mulkeen’s gun it went off.
- In the video released by police, the officer is heard on his body camera shouting, “He’s reaching for it, he’s reaching for it!” In response, three other officers on the scene opened fire, they shot 14 times and killed both Williams and Mulkeen.
- The relatives of Williams plan to file the lawsuit Wednesday morning in New York County Supreme Court.
- The family is requesting the release of the unedited video of the violent encounter. The claim is that the incident is misleading and doesn’t accurately show what had taken place. They believe that the edited video of the incident was released by the NYPD but doesn’t tell the full story.
- “I’m trying to get the truth on what happened that night. My family is still in the dark on it,” said Williams’ father Shaun Williams. “My son was standing there waiting for a cab and the next thing you know he’s dead. He was chased down by the NYPD. When we tried to get information from the police and Mayor de Blasio, all we received was edited video.”
- In addition, Shaun is seeking any and all documents generated by the NYPD for the case. He stated that his son’s death has shattered the family, which has also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the NYPD.
- “We’re going through a lot,” he stated. “My family and his brothers are going through a lot of issues, therapy, trauma. His twin brother is going through a lot.”
- A lawyer for the family, Jonathan Moore spoke up and stated “If the NYPD has nothing to hide, it will immediately release all the video footage and other records and documents we are requesting. “
The NYPD has made no explanation for why Williams was approached in the first place or why the officers escalated the incident without reasonable suspicion of a crime taking place.
