Attorney General Reviewing NYPD Shooting in Queens
Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is looking into the shooting death of George Tillman, 32, by police in Queens last Sunday for a possible investigation. Schneiderman is working with the Queens District Attorney to find out if this is a case of police firing on an unarmed civilian.
According to the NYPD, Tillman was confronted by two plain-clothes officers for double parking and holding an open container of alcohol. The officers say they saw a gun in Tillman's waist band and that he fled when approached. As he turned a corner he was confronted by three other plain-clothes officers who said he reached for a gun. Four officers opened fire. Tillman died from the wounds.
A fully loaded handgun was recovered from the scene.
But Tillman's family and witnesses dispute the NYPD's version of events, telling a family lawyer that Tillman did not have a weapon.
Attorney Jeffrey Lichtman told WNYC that he has seen surveillance footage from a nearby home of the incident and photos of Tillman's body riddled with bullet wounds to the head and back.
"Frankly, it looks like an execution," Lichtman said.
"Everyone was dumbfounded," he told WNYC. "How this could have escalated into this so quickly? It's not like George was a gang banger," he said.
The NYPD is calling on anyone with photos, video or information to provide it to the police and the Queens District Attorney.
In a statement, Queens DA Richard Brown said he's continuing to investigate the incident. But he said calls for a special prosecutor are "neither helpful nor productive."
Last year, in the wake of the Eric Garner incident, Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed Attorney General Eric Schneiderman as special prosecutor in cases of unarmed civilians killed by law enforcement.
Schneiderman's office wrote in a statement that it's reviewing the case "to determine if it falls within the parameters of the Governor's executive order."
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