2011 ANNUAL FIREARMS DISCHARGE REPORT - …

1 2011 ANNUAL FIREARMS DISCHARGE REPORT ANNUAL FIREARMS DISCHARGE REPORT 2011 RAYMOND W. KELLY POLICE COMMISSIONER August 2012, NYPD 2011 ANNUAL FIREARMS DISCHARGE REPORT ii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 2011 ANNUAL FIREARMS DISCHARGE REPORT iii Police Officer Alain Schaberger, 84 Precinct March 13, 2011 Detective First Grade Peter J. Figoski, 75 Precinct December 12, 2011 In Memoriam 2011 ANNUAL FIREARMS DISCHARGE REPORT iv THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK TABLE OF CONTENTS v PAGE EXECUTIVE ix GLOSSARY OF x 2011 FIREARMS DISCHARGE xiii xiv ANALYSIS OF 2011 FIREARMS DISCHARGES BY CATEGORY 3 USE OF 7 INVESTIGATION AND 11 INTENTIONAL DISCHARGE ADVERSARIAL CONFLICT 17 REASONS FOR 17 DATES AND TIMES OF 17 LOCATIONS OF 19 REASONS OFFICER 22 OFFICER 23 OFFICER 25 SUBJECT 27 INCIDENT 31 33 INTENTIONAL DISCHARGE ANIMAL ATTACK 37 REASONS FOR 37 DATES AND TIMES OF 37 LOCATIONS OF 38 REASONS OFFICER 40 OFFICER 40 OFFICER 41

2 INCIDENT 43 43 UNINTENTIONAL DISCHARGE 47 REASONS FOR 47 PURELY UNINTENTIONAL 47 UNINTENTIONAL DISCHARGE ADVERSARIAL 49 vi 2011 ANNUAL FIREARMS DISCHARGE REPORT PAGE ANALYSIS OF 2011 FIREARMS DISCHARGES BY CATEGORY continued UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A FIREARM 53 DISCHARGE BY OTHER THAN 53 SUICIDE .. 53 53 53 MISTAKEN IDENTITY 57 2011 57 APPENDIX IN 61 HISTORICAL 63 FIREARMS 67 ADVERSARIAL CONFLICT RESULTING IN A SUBJECT S 71 SUBJECTS SHOT BY POLICE BY RACE/ETHNICITY, SINCE 75 SUPPLEMENTAL 77 TABLES, CHARTS, AND FIGURES vii PAGE FIREARMS DISCHARGE xiii Historical Snapshot by Category, 2002 xiv Total Incidents by Year, 2002 xiv Adversarial Conflict by Year, 2002 xiv Unintentional DISCHARGE by Year, 2002 xiv Animal Attack by Year, 2002 xiv Comparison, 2010 to xv Breakdown by Category, xv INTENTIONAL DISCHARGE ADVERSARIAL CONFLICT Type of Threat, 17 ID-AC Incidents, 2007 to 2011 , by Calendar 18 ID-AC Incidents By 19 MAP.

3 Locations of ID-AC vs Locations of Criminal Shootings, 20 Criminal Shootings vs ID-AC Incidents, by 21 Criminal Shootings vs ID-AC Incidents, Percentage by 21 On-duty Officers 22 Situations Precipitating DISCHARGE 22 Shots Fired per 23 Shots Fired per ID-AC 23 Distance to Target (in Yards) of 53 Reporting 24 Race/Ethnicity, ID-AC Officers vs Department 25 Years of Service, ID-AC Officers vs Department 26 Ranks of Officers, ID-AC Officers vs Department 27 Race/Ethnicity of 27 ID-AC Subjects Armed with 27 Race/Ethnicity of 28 ID-AC Subjects Struck by Police 27 Race/Ethnicity of 12 ID-AC Subjects Firing on 28 Race/Ethnicity of 9 ID-AC Subjects Killed by 28 Officers Compared to Subjects, by 29 Subjects Who Fired on Police vs Racially Identified Criminal-Shooting 29 Subjects with Prior 30 Weapons Possessed/Used by 30 INTENTIONAL DISCHARGE ANIMAL ATTACK Overview 37 ID-AA Incidents, by 38 Jurisdiction, ID-AC vs 38 MAP.

4 Locations of ID-AA 39 ID-AA Incidents, by Patrol 39 ID-AA Incidents, by Location 40 On-duty Officers Actions Precipitating ID-AA 40 Shots Fired per 41 viii 2011 ANNUAL FIREARMS DISCHARGE REPORT PAGE INTENTIONAL DISCHARGE ANIMAL ATTACK continued Shots Fired per 41 Race/Ethnicity of ID-AA 42 Years of Service for ID-AA 42 Ranks of ID-AA 43 UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A FIREARM Suicide/Attempt by Firearm, 2002 to 53 APPENDIX Officers Shot and Injured by Subjects, 1971 63 Officers Shot and Killed by Subjects, 1971 63 Subjects Shot and Injured by Officers, 1971 64 Subjects Shot and Killed by Officers, 1971 64 Total Shots Fired, 1971 65 Total Incidents, 1971 65 Center 68 Subjects Shot by NYPD Officers by Race/Ethnicity, Trends, 1998 75 Gunfire in New York City by Race/Ethnicity, 75 Subjects Shot by Police by Race/Ethnicity, Tables, 2000 76 DISCHARGE Incidents by Day of 77 DISCHARGE Incidents by 77 DISCHARGE Incidents by 77 DISCHARGE Incidents by 78 DISCHARGE Incidents by 78 DISCHARGE Incidents by Duty 80 Breakdown by Incident, 81 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ix EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 2011 , the number of FIREARMS DISCHARGE incidents involving members of the New York City Police Department remained unchanged from the previous year: 92 total incidents.

5 As was true last year, this is the smallest number of FIREARMS discharges since the recording of police shootings in the City began. While it must be acknowledged that the most serious category of discharges shootings involving adversarial conflict with a subject increased by 9 percent over last year s re-cord low, it is also true that experiencing 36 adversarial-conflict incidents during a year makes for a remarkably infrequent rate. In context, the rarity is even more apparent: in a city of million peo-ple, from a Department of nearly 35,000 uniformed members who interacted with citizens in ap-proximately 23 million instances, 62 officers were involved in 36 incidents of intentional FIREARMS discharges during an adversarial conflict, with 19 subjects injured and nine killed.

6 This is an impres-sive record of FIREARMS control. Neither the Department nor the officer on the street can afford complacency, however. Pro-tecting the public from those who disdain the law is a noble calling, but it carries dangers. Two offi-cers were murdered in 2011 one as a result of being pushed to his death, the other slain by gun-fire during an incident in which no officer fired and in other incidents three additional officers were shot and injured. Furthermore, as this REPORT was being prepared, the first six months of 2012 saw eight officers injured by gunfire. It is true that the drastic reduction in violent crime over the past decade has meant that crimi-nals and police enter into conflict less often. But the declining figures associated with officer-involved FIREARMS discharges are equally a testament to police officers restraint, diligence, and honorable performance of duty.

7 In this arena, the Department and its officers have provided an example for law enforcement nationwide. 2011 ANNUAL FIREARMS DISCHARGE REPORT x Officer For this publication, refers to a sworn Uniformed Member of the New York City Police Department of any rank. Subject A person engaged in adversarial conflict with an officer or a third party, in which the conflict results in a FIREARMS DISCHARGE . Civilian A person who is not the subject in the adversarial conflict but is included as a victim, bystander, and/or injured person. FIREARMS DISCHARGE An incident in which an officer of the New York City Police Department dis-charges any firearm, or when a firearm belonging to an officer of the New York City Police Department is discharged by any person. This does not in-clude a DISCHARGE during an authorized training session nor while lawfully engaged in target practice or hunting.

8 Additionally, it does not include a FIREARMS DISCHARGE at a FIREARMS safety station within a Department facility. Intentional FIREARMS DISCHARGE Adversarial Conflict A FIREARMS DISCHARGE in which an officer intentionally discharges a firearm in defense of self or another during an adversarial conflict with a subject. May include FIREARMS discharges that are inside the scope of the officer s employment but outside Department guidelines. This does not include dis-charging a firearm against an animal attack. Mistaken Identity DISCHARGE A FIREARMS DISCHARGE in which an officer intentionally discharges a firearm at another law-enforcement officer whom the discharging officer mistak-enly believes to be a perpetrator. Not to be confused with so-called friendly fire or crossfire incidents in which the discharging officer did not intentionally fire on or strike the other officer.

9 Intentional FIREARMS DISCHARGE Animal At-tack A FIREARMS DISCHARGE in which an officer intentionally discharges a firearm in defense of self or another against an animal attack. May include FIREARMS discharges that are inside the scope of the officer s employment but out-side Department guidelines. Intentional FIREARMS DISCHARGE No Conflict A FIREARMS DISCHARGE in which an officer intentionally discharges a firearm to summon assistance. May include FIREARMS discharges that are deter-mined to be legally justified but outside Department guidelines. Unintentional FIREARMS DISCHARGE A FIREARMS DISCHARGE in which an officer discharges a firearm without in-tent, regardless of the circumstance. Commonly known as an accidental DISCHARGE . Unauthorized Use of a Firearm A FIREARMS DISCHARGE that is considered unauthorized and is not listed as an intentional FIREARMS DISCHARGE .

10 In these instances the firearm is being dis-charged without proper legal justification and/or outside the scope of the officer s employment. This includes instances when an unauthorized per-son discharges an officer s firearm. Use/threaten the Use of a Firearm A contributing factor in which a subject discharges or threatens the dis-charge of a firearm by displaying a firearm or what reasonably appears to be a firearm, or by simulating a firearm or making a gesture indicative of threatening the use of a firearm. GLOSSARY OF TERMS xi Firearm For this publication, includes any pistol, revolver, shotgun, rifle, or varia-tion of such. Imitation Firearm For this publication, includes any instrument that is designed by the manufacturer or modified by a person to appear as if it were a firearm.