Nearly 20 people were arrested in a protest that spawned at a Brooklyn subway station where four people were shot, including two bystanders, when NYPD officers opened fire during a confrontation with an alleged fare-beater over the weekend, authorities said Wednesday.
All but one of the 18 cuffed were given summonses and released. One person remained in custody with charges pending. It wasn’t clear if any officers were hurt in the fray on Sutter Avenue in Brownsville. A group called Swipe It Forward, which advocates for universal transportation, promoted the protest, according to Gothamist.
The protesters eventually took their action to the streets of Brownsville, joining in chants against the police department.
The demonstration came after prosecutors said they intended to charge the alleged fare-beater at the center of Sunday’s shooting. They claimed he lunged at officers with a knife, and officers opened fire. He was hit several times and was last said to be in stable condition. Two other people, a 49-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman, were hit.
The man was hit in the head and remained in critical condition as of Tuesday, Gothamist reported. The 26-year-old suffered a graze wound. A police officer was also shot in the armpit.
All shots were fired by NYPD officers, authorities have said.
Investigators say they tried to subdue the man with Tasers first. The knife he allegedly wielded was taken from the crime scene.
Meanwhile, the family of the 49-year-old bystander who was wounded is expected to hold a press conference later Wednesday.
