BY DONNA DE LA CRUZ, The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) -- A police officer’s shooting of an unarmed 19-year-old Brooklyn man in a public housing project early Saturday morning was unjustified, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.
“At this point, based on the facts that we have gathered, there appears to be no justification for this shooting,” Kelly said. “This is a tragic incident that compels us to take an in-depth look at our tactics and training, both for new and veteran officers.” A preliminary investigation found that the officer had no reason to shoot the victim, Timothy Stansbury Jr., Kelly said. The officer, who was not identified, was standing 3 feet to 4 feet from Stansbury when he fired one round into the man’s chest, the commissioner said.
The 35-year-old officer had never before fired a shot on duty in his 11 1/2-year career, Kelly said. He was placed on restricted duty and surrendered his service revolver and badge.
“They’re killing us like dogs out here, pure dogs!” said Stansbury’s mother, Phyllis Clayburne, a police department crossing guard. “It’s not right and it needs to stop!”
Stansbury’s family members said the young man had no criminal record and was well-liked.
The officer was with his partner doing routine patrols of the housing project’s buildings, including the rooftops, when the shooting occurred shortly before 1 a.m. Stansbury had been attending a party in 395 Lexington Avenue when he went to visit another friend in 385 Lexington Avenue, and used the rooftop to cross between the buildings, Kelly said.
Stansbury was shot when he was going up the stairs to the rooftop of 385 Lexington Avenue. He was coming through the doorway when the officer looked in and fired once, hitting Stansbury in the chest, Kelly said.
Stansbury ran down five flights of stairs and collapsed in the lobby, Kelly said.
Stansbury was rushed to Woodhull Hospital, where he died.
The teenager was attending a party at 395 Lexington Avenue and left at some point with another male friend to visit someone else at 385 Lexington Avenue, Kelly said.
Both officers were city Housing Authority officers. The second officer involved in the shooting was placed on administrative desk duty.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg attended a briefing on the shooting at police headquarters, then visited Stansbury’s mother, father and grandmother to express his condolences, said Ed Skyler, Bloomberg’s spokesman. The mayor had no immediate comment.
Stansbury worked at a McDonald’s and was a senior at Thomas Jefferson High School, said his cousin, Diesha Clayburne.
“He was a good boy, he worked part-time, went to school, never got into trouble,” Diesha Clayburne said. “There was no reason for him to be shot, no reason at all.”
City Councilman Charles Barron, who represents Brooklyn, said “heads should roll” over the shooting.
“We need some justice,” he said. “The mayor and the police commissioner should send a signal to the community that they will not tolerate such shootings.”