October 18, 2016 a 66-year-old Deborah Denner received 2 bullets in the chest from the NYPD Sergeant Hugh Barry. The wound was fatal and the woman died at the hospital.
This event caused a great resonance. Many then argued about how legitimate the police officer acted, given that Denner was suffering from mental disorder. Defenders of Sergeant drew attention to the fact that the woman tried to hit him with a baseball bat, so his actions were only protection. On the other hand a police officer can use a stun gun (Taser) to stop Denner. But as found out a consequence, at the time the device was in working condition. Later the Sergeant admitted that he feared for his life.
Life News: A 66 yr. old mentally ill black woman, #DeborahDanner, was shot and killed by the NYPD. | @NBCNewYork reports:https://t.co/y8z0Zbjr2F pic.twitter.com/zIE5vnTeUh
— Life As We Know It (@LifeAsWeKnow4) October 19, 2016
Shortly after the shooting, mayor bill de Blasio criticized the decision of Sergeant Barry and the overall actions of the NYPD on this case.
«Ms. Danner wasn’t supposed to die, the mayor said, adding that in this case, the officers must wait for the division of emergency services. – We were called to help her and we ended up having killed her.»
The sister of the deceased Jennifer Danner, who was also present during the incident, filed a lawsuit stating that the act Barry was not necessary, and that he violated NYPD Protocol. She also claimed that her sister was deemed «safe for the environment».
Yesterday, December 13, the legal Department of the city announced that new York agreed to pay the victim’s family $2 million.
«This agreement is a fair resolution to a tragic case, and hopefully it will bring some relief to the family. The city aims to prevent such tragedies,» — said the official representative of the legal Department of the city.
In February of this year, the Supreme court in the Bronx found Barry not guilty of second-degree murder and other charges. In case of conviction of an officer of the NYPD could be put in jail for 25 years.
