Didn't understand English: Police shot at robbery witness mistaking him for criminal
'14.01.2025'
ForumDaily New York
On January 12, police in the Bronx wounded a man with a knife. It later turned out that he was trying to defend himself from a thief. ABC7 tries to understand whether the language barrier was to blame for the tragedy.
The incident occurred on January 12 at around 18:00 p.m. after a 911 call was made about a robbery at an apartment building on East 148th Street.
Police wound witness to robbery
Before the police arrived, a man with a knife was seen in the yard. He tried to resist suspect to the thief.
Officers arriving at the scene shot at a man with a knife, who turned out to be rang in 911.
Police say as officers were descending a dark staircase in the building, they encountered a man running up the stairs with a knife in his hand.
On the subject: NYPD Sergeant Arrested for Shoplifting from Target
Investigators say officers ordered the man to drop the knife, but he continued to advance toward them. That's when officers opened fire, shooting him in the torso.
The camera captured the tense moment when one officer began shooting, and immediately radioed that shots had been fired. The lobby filled with reinforcements.
It happened in a split second. Officers say there is body camera video showing them trying to stop the knife-wielding man not only verbally but with gestures as well.
Lost in Translation
Police say officers repeatedly ordered him to drop the knife before opening fire on the suspect. But some neighbors question whether they gave him enough time to explain who he was.
This incident shows that officers need to know at least a few basic sentences in Spanish.
The victim called 911 and spoke Spanish. The NYPD is investigating whether a language barrier played a role.
"Why didn't they send a Spanish-speaking cop? Maybe then this wouldn't have happened," neighbor Juan Rivera said. "If the officer had spoken to him in Spanish, he probably would have put the knife down. It wasn't necessary to act like that last night."
"Specific words like 'put it down' can help a person understand what is being said," said local resident Camila Rosario.
The 32-year-old victim was taken to hospital. There are hopes that the victim will survive. His identity has not yet been established. He is reported to be from Mexico and sold flowers and vegetables.
"It is deeply disturbing that an innocent man was shot and killed by police. An independent investigation is needed," concluded Congressman Ritchie Torres.