Brownsville City Council member asks: Why haven’t the mayor or the NYPD visited victims of Sunday’s subway shooting?

City Council Member Chris Banks, who’s district borders the Sutter Ave L subway stop, said that the New York City Police Department’s narrative of the police shooting there over the weekend sounds like a “conspiracy” until he can view the footage. He’s also calling on the police department and the mayor to visit the family of the bystander who police accidentally shot in the head when taking aim at an alleged fare evader who they say had a knife.

“It seems like when these videos are favorable to the narrative they're pushing, they have released, they have done presentations,” Banks said in an interview on Thursday. (Editor's note: After this story was published, the NYPD released footage of the incident Friday afternoon.) “We want these questions answered, and the only way we can get that is if PD comes to the realization, levels with themselves and says, ‘Let's let the people see what was on the video’.”

On Wednesday, members of the New York City Police Department held a press conference where they said they will release footage of Sunday’s incident “in the next couple days.” 

On Sunday, police said two officers followed a man who allegedly did not pay the subway fare onto the platform, when they said they became aware he had a knife in his pocket. They then followed him onto the train, deployed ineffective tasers, and followed him back onto the platform where they say “at one point he's advancing on one of the officers with his knife.” That’s when both officers opened fire, hitting the man they were aiming at, one of the NYPD officers and other two bystanders at the station, according to their narrative. 

For the first time Wednesday, NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell provided new details about the police’s account of what happened, including that the blade of the knife they say the alleged fare evader had was “exposed” prior to the officers firing bullets and that officers commanded the man to drop the knife 38 times 

Interim NYPD Commissioner Tom Donlon said “it happened because an individual decided to enter our subway system, he refused to drop that weapon after repeated orders by the officers, and then he advanced towards the officers while he was armed.” 

Chell said “a narrative that we shot somebody over a $2.90 fare” is “wrong” and “irresponsible.”

But Banks says he’s skeptical until he sees a video, adding that he would prefer if footage was released unedited.

“They said this all took place in under three minutes. I mean, I think the public will be willing to see and take the time to see in those three minutes what took place.”

Banks said some of his constituents are “frustrated” and expressed fears of using the train after Sunday’s shooting. On Tuesday night, there was a protest outside the station where the shooting occurred. Wednesday night in Manhattan, there was a march in protest of the police shooting where many protesters participated in an act of mass fare evasion when the protest entered the subway.

“There's so many stories out there, so many conflicting stories out there,” Banks said. “I think the residents, they want to know, can they, can they comfortably get on a train station, get on the trains without having this cloud over their head where they have to be fearful.”

Banks said that he met with the family of the bystander who is in critical condition. He said that last he heard, they did not receive word from the mayor yet. City Hall did not return a request for comment in time for publication.

“The family would love to meet with the mayor,” Banks said. “I don’t understand why he has not reached out to this particular family.”

“The mayor went and visited the officer,” Banks said. “We have a new commissioner, the chiefs, if they really want to, I think, set the right tone, they should go and visit the family of this young gentleman fighting for his life.” 

Alongside Sandy Nurse, the council member whose district borders that of Banks and includes the station, Banks released a statement on Monday calling for body camera footage to be released and emphasizing the need for free transit.

“Our city and state must confront the pressing need for free, accessible public transit for all New Yorkers, ensuring that it is not just a privilege for those who can afford it,” the statement reads. “Our city resources should not be used for punitive fare enforcement and instead should be invested in services that truly benefit our residents and keep them safe."

Banks said he wants to address this issue with the city council and with the mayor.

“Don't criminalize poverty, and support folks who can't afford to get on trains,” Banks said. “I think that's something obviously that can be addressed by the council, hopefully in conjunction with the mayor's office.”

When asked if this incident shifted Banks, who defeated far-left incumbent Charles Barron and has not joined the progressive caucus, closer to the progressives on the political spectrum, Banks said “no.”

“I don't care where you’re at on the political spectrum,” Banks said. “No one, because of their poverty, should be criminalized.”