Off-Duty Officer Fatally Shoots Man in East New York: NYPD (Updated)

Pictured: the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Bradford Street. Photos by John V. Santore

EAST NEW YORK, BROOKLYN — An off-duty officer fatally shot a man early Monday morning in East New York, police said.

According to the NYPD, the officer and the shooting victim, identified by The New York Post as Delron Dempsey of Jersey City, were each driving their personal vehicles at about midnight on July 4 when they became involved in a "traffic dispute."

The cars stopped at a red-light at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Bradford Street, at which point, according to an official police account provided to the media, the 37-year-old victim "exited his car and approached the off duty officer, who was still seated in his vehicle, and began to punch him repeatedly in the head through the car window."

According to the account, "The off duty officer discharged his firearm during the assault. The male operator sustained a gunshot wound."

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical responders, while the officer was taken to Jamaica Medical Center with contusions to the head, the NYPD said.

The Post cited a CBS News report in which a man identified as Delron's brother Victor said Delron had been on his way to a fireworks display with his wife and two children. Family members who arrived at the scene told the paper that Delron was shot in the head by the officer.

“He’s dead. Lying here, no ambulance, no nothing,” an unnamed cousin reportedly told the Post. “They shot him in the head.”

A slightly different account was reported by NBC. Another man at the scene named Ali, also identified as Delron's brother, told the station that Delron was had been in East New York visiting his girlfriend, the couple's new baby, and the girlfriend's two teenagers.

Ali told NBC that Delron left his car to avoid fighting in the presence of his family.

"The only reason he got out of the car was because the family was in the car," Ali reportedly said. "He was concerned. He wanted to question the guy, like, what's your angle?"

A third account was reported by The New York Daily News.

The paper cited a man named Lloyd Banks, identified as a friend of Delron's, who claimed that, “Delron and the cop's car almost hit each other. And Delron got out of the car and the cop just jumped out and started screaming. He just shot him right there on the street. Delron was unarmed. His wife and kids were still in the car. They saw everything.”

The paper did not explain how Banks received his information. However, his story differs markedly from the official police account, which claimed that the officer did not exit his vehicle before firing his weapon.

The intersection on Monday afternoon.

On Monday afternoon, rolled-up police tape was still visible on a lamppost at the corner of Atlantic and Bradford.

A quick canvass of area businesses showed multiple security cameras apparently pointed toward the intersection, though the shops were closed for the July 4th holiday.

Minister Isaac Mickens, who was on the scene, said he had spoken to three individuals earlier in the day who said they had seen what occurred the night before.

According to Mickens, the witnesses said Delron had approached the officer's car and started banging on the passenger's side window. At that point, the officer exited his vehicle, "panicked," and shot Delron three times. Patch could not immediately confirm Mickens' account independently.

Donavan Perkins, who was talking with friends at a nearby barbershop, said he wasn't surprised to learn of an officer-involved shooting.

"It's the same old thing — they shoot first," Perkins said, referring to police officers. "This man was with his family, his kids."

Perkins said the officer should have de-escalated the alleged fight "before it started. That's what you're supposed to do."

The NYPD's Force Investigation Division was investigating the shooting, police said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.