Suspect killed in police-involved shooting in Brooklyn may have fired shots in air beforehand
CONEY ISLAND, Brooklyn (WABC) -- A shootout with police ended with one man dead in front of a deli in Brooklyn.
Multiple 911 calls and a shot spotter notification came in around 10:16 p.m. Thursday in Coney Island around the same time two women flagged down a sergeant and said a man was firing a gun.
That suspect has been identified as 42-year-old Jermaine Hickson.
Detectives initially believed the two women were victims of a domestic violence incident involving the suspect, but upon further investigation determined that was not the case.
Instead, they believe Hickson was randomly firing in the air when police responded.
Four officers got out of their cars to approach the man and that's when Hickson fired at them.
"The male immediately starts shooting at the officers," NYPD Chief of Patrol Jeffrey Maddrey said. "The officers respond by immediately firing their weapons."
The suspect was struck sending him to the ground, but he continued to shoot at the officers.
They were eventually able to move in and subdue the suspect placing him in handcuffs and began to render aid, according to police.
He was later pronounced dead at the scene and his gun was recovered.
A police official said the two officers involved, both assigned to the 60th precinct, are extremely lucky they were not struck by gunfire.
This was the second fatal police-involved shooting in just one week in New York City.
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