Farebeater in the NYPD subway shooting had previously encountered the same officers

Minutes before Sunday afternoon shooting on the L train subway that left two passengers, the suspect and an NYPD officer injured, The police officer who fired jumped the turnstile and left the station after being ordered to do so, the NYPD disclosed Wednesday.

The police revealed in an afternoon presser that there were two different interactions between Derrell Mickles and the two police officers, who would fire on Mickles after threatening him with a knife at the Sutter Avenue L train station in Brownsville.

The first incident happened around 2:50pm where police revealed based on body cam footage that Mickles jumped the turnstile “immediately in front of the two officers”. NYPD officers Edmund Mays and Alex Wong follow Mickles down the stairs, asking him to leave. Mickles is said to have voluntarily left unrestricted.

But around 3:05 p.m., Mickles returned to the train station and walked through an open door in the station, police said. Mays and Wong followed Mickles – seeing he had an 8-inch knife. Officers surrounded Mickles on the train car, which contained 10 people inside.

“The officers followed him to the platform where they gave numerous verbal commands to show his hands and drop the knife, these commands were issued more than 30 times,” said NYPD Patrol Chief John Chell. “He refused to drop the knife and at this point the officers discharged their tasers, the tasers did not immobilize Mr. Mickles.”

Mickles then tried to charge one of the officers, which prompted them to fire. Mickels was seven feet from the officers with the knife drawn when they shot him. Mickles and a passenger on the train, Gregory Delpeche, 59, were critically injured. Delpeche’s family said he is in critical condition with brain damage.

Kaz Daughtry, Deputy Commissioner of Operations, said the tasers were “ineffective” because Mickels was wearing a baggy shirt that meant the tip of the taser could not stick to the skin.

The shooting drew criticism.

“On Sunday, the NYPD shot and killed two passers-by and its own officer in a crowded, confined area looking for a $2.90 subway fare. This deeply disturbing incident shows why we increasingly trust subway police and tough new crackdowns for minor offenses do not bring real community safety,” New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman said in a statement.

Chell pushed back on the narrative that the officers shot Mickles for a “$2.90 fee,” calling the narrative “quite frankly irresponsible.”

“This is not true, irresponsible and wrong. This incident was not about fare evasion. This incident was about a person under mental stress armed with a deadly weapon and protecting our police and citizens on that train,” Chell said.

Mickles was charged with attempted assault, menacing, theft of service and possession of a weapon.

Also on Wednesday, a suspect was initially arrested for taking the knife, a crucial piece of evidence, from the crime scene. Officers were able to locate the knife and the suspect returned the knife to him. The district attorney declined to prosecute the suspect as he is believed to be suffering from psychiatric issues.

A 26-year-old woman, also innocent, was grazed in the buttocks and was treated for minor injuries. Mays was shot in the left armpit above his vest. He also suffered shrapnel wounds to his face and legs. He is recovering in stable condition.

“This is a tragedy for everyone involved and I want to extend my sincere sympathies to those who are injured,” said NYPD Police Commissioner Thomas Donlon. “This happened because an individual decided to enter our subway system. He refused to drop his weapon after repeated orders from the officers. He then approached the officers while armed.”

Mays and Wong are in the 73rd Precinct’; but they were working overtime as part of an ongoing effort to crack down on subway crime by assigning hundreds of officers to the subway.

Transit Chief Michael Kemper noted that from January 2024 to September 2024, the police recovered 46 guns in the subways, which were more than 35 last year. He went on to state that 24 of the 46 guns that were recovered were during a tax evasion stage and that 20 of the 35 last year were from tariff evasion stages.

Kemper also noted that 1,593 recovered in the metro this year compared to 1,032 that were recovered last year. The 490 of 1593 recovered were from tax evaders.

Originally Posted: September 18, 2024 at 7:55 p.m