Police killing of man they say was armed sparks riot

An officer-involved shooting in Newburgh, New York, that left a man dead and an officer injured sparked a riot in the city as people took to the streets to protest the death.

The man, who has not been identified, was shot and killed by a Newburgh police officer Friday night just after 5 p.m.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release that officers wanted to question the man in connection to a shooting on Thursday when a struggle ensued. The man then pulled out a handgun and fired at the officers, District Attorney David Hoovler said.

“A review of body-worn cameras and street cameras shows that when officers approached the man, he displayed a silver handgun and began fighting with officers, striking one of the officers in the head with a handgun,” the press release states. “During the encounter the man discharged the pistol and City of Newburgh police officers fired their weapons.”

The man (no identity released yet) was shot Friday night in Newburgh, New York by a police officer.Newburgh Police

The man died at a hospital in Newburgh, about 60 miles north of Manhattan. An officer was hospitalized with a gunshot wound and injuries to his head, according to Hoovler.

The prosecutor’s office and the police department released images from a body-worn camera that shows the man holding what appears to be a gun as three officers surround him. At least one officer has his weapon drawn.

Hoovler said he normally does not release body-camera images this early in the investigation, but did so “to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the investigation.”

The shooting sparked a riot and a fire in the city Friday night, according to the Times Herald-Record. The fire was extinguished around 2 a.m. Saturday.

Hoovler said there will be two investigations conducted into the shooting; one before a grand jury and another by the District Attorney’s Office.

source: nbcnews.com