Support NeoGAF

[NYCmetsfan]

An unarmed, emotionally disturbed man shot by the police as he was lurching around traffic near Times Square in September has been charged with assault, on the theory that he was responsible for bullet wounds suffered by two bystanders, according to an indictment unsealed in State Supreme Court in Manhattan on Wednesday.

The man, Glenn Broadnax, 35, of Brooklyn, created a disturbance on Sept. 14, wading into traffic at 42nd Street and Eighth Avenue and throwing himself into the path of oncoming cars.

A curious crowd grew. Police officers arrived and tried to corral Mr. Broadnax, a 250-pound man. When he reached into his pants pocket, two officers, who, the police said, thought he was pulling a gun, opened fire, missing Mr. Broadnax, but hitting two nearby women. Finally, a police sergeant knocked Mr. Broadnax down with a Taser.

The shootings once again raised questions about the police use of firearms in crowded areas and drew comparisons to a shooting a year ago, when officers struck nine bystanders in front of the Empire State Building when they killed an armed murder suspect.

Initially Mr. Broadnax was arrested on misdemeanor charges of menacing, drug possession and resisting arrest. But the Manhattan district attorney’s office persuaded a grand jury to charge Mr. Broadnax with assault, a felony carrying a maximum sentence of 25 years. Specifically, the nine-count indictment unsealed on Wednesday said Mr. Broadnax “recklessly engaged in conduct which created a grave risk of death.”

“The defendant is the one that created the situation that injured innocent bystanders,” said an assistant district attorney, Shannon Lucey.

The two police officers, who have not been identified, have been placed on administrative duty and their actions are still under investigation by the district attorney’s office, law enforcement officials said. They also face an internal Police Department inquiry.

Mr. Broadnax’s lawyer, Rigodis Appling, said Mr. Broadnax suffered from anxiety and depression and had been disoriented and scared when the police shot at him. He was reaching for his wallet, not a gun, she said. “Mr. Broadnax never imagined his behavior would ever cause the police to shoot at him,” she said.

After his arrest, Mr. Broadnax was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center, where he told a detective that “he was talking to dead relatives in his head and that he tried throwing himself in front of cars to kill himself,” according to a court document released on Wednesday.

A judge ordered a mental evaluation, and a psychiatrist later found Mr. Broadnax competent to stand trial, Ms. Appling said.

On Wednesday, Justice Gregory Carro set bail at $100,000 bond or $50,000 cash.

Mariann Wang, a lawyer representing Sahar Khoshakhlagh, one of the women who was wounded, said the district attorney should be pursuing charges against the two officers who fired their weapons in a crowd, not against Mr. Broadnax. “It’s an incredibly unfortunate use of prosecutorial discretion to be prosecuting a man who didn’t even injure my client,” she said. “It’s the police who injured my client.”

What? The implications of this legal theory are insane.

 

[Devolution]

I thought this is what tasers were for.

And lol

Finally, a police sergeant knocked Mr. Broadnax down with a Taser.

Derp.

 

[sarcastor]

they should charge the cops with bad aiming. How do you miss a 250lb man and shoot two people in the background?

 

[ezrarh]

they should charge the cops with bad aiming. How do you miss a 250lb man and shoot two people in the background?

Police have really bad aim. They're really only taught to pass out speeding tickets and stop and frisk minorities in NYC.

 

[watershed]

Cops pulled their guns out when they didn't need to and then missed. Who's at fault? The supposedly "responsible" cops or the "emotionally disturbed" man?

 

[NYCmetsfan]

stop and kiss minorities in NYC.

FTFY

 

[DiscoJer]

This is not uncommon. If people get hurt while committing a crime, the person committing the crime gets charged with causing those injuries, even if he didn't actually cause them himself.

But usually it's done when an actual crime is being committed - like robbery or breaking & entering. Not some disturbed guy walking in traffic. Then again, people like that usually don't get shot at by police.

And yeah, police really aren't very good shots these days. They pretty much use the "spray & pray" method.

They should be required to use revolvers. Not only are they safer (since they only go off if you pull on the trigger hard), they would encourage better marksmanship.

 

[JDSN]

What forced the cop to suddenly become aware and tell himself "you know, maybe I should go for a no-kill run today" and switch to his tazer?

Is he a metal gear hardcore player?

 

[AlexMogil]

I assure you, Mrs. Buttle, the Ministry is very scrupulous about following up and eradicating any error. If you have any complaints which you'd like to make, I'd be more than happy to send you the appropriate forms.

 

[Fusebox]

That's some Judge Dredd shit. 20 years in the Iso-Cube for resisting arrest and another 20 years for the innocent people I shot while catching you.

 

[sarcastor]

FTFY

you do realize this is from the Onion?

 

[NYCmetsfan]

you do realize this is from the Onion?

simpsons.jpg

 

[Cheesecakebobby]

They should charge his mother because if she hadn't given birth to him he could never have caused a disturbance that would lead to police shooting two women.

 

[dejay]

Assault with a deadly dickhead.

What forced the cop to suddenly become aware and tell himself "you know, maybe I should go for a no-kill run today" and switch to his tazer?

Ran out of ammo.

 

[Kettch]

Their poor aim gave them time to properly assess the situation and realize he didn't have a gun, allowing them to follow up with a taser. It would be amusing if not for all the unarmed people murdered by officers with better aim.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

Felony murder charges are like this. If you're committing a (violent or nonviolent) crime and someone gets killed (in any way), you can be charged with murder.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

nevermind

 

[Angelus Errare]

Open and shut case Johnson.

 

[SneakyStephan]

Maybe they shouldn't be shooting people when there's innocent bystandard standing behind them.

Idk

 

[Morgadeth]

That's some Judge Dredd shit. 20 years in the Iso-Cube for resisting arrest and another 20 years for the innocent people I shot while catching you.

More like Sledge Hammer

 

[Madness]

Another reason why I am against guns. People shoot first and ask questions later. Your job is to protect and serve, and if you're so fearful for your own life all the time, that you'll draw your gun and open fire and your aim is so bad that you hit bystanders, leave the force. I hope the NYPD gets sued for a shitload of money.

Many services and officers in other countries are no longer armed, at best they carry tasers.

 

[Atraveller]

So, after they shot someone, the officers suddenly realized tasers exist.

What?

It's like they really want to shoot somebody.

 

[BeerSnob]

Hey, dehumanizing mind bullets are dangerous.

 

[ShadowgeistX]

they should charge the cops with bad aiming. How do you miss a 250lb man and shoot two people in the background?

You could say they couldn't hit the Broadnax side of a barn.