NEW YORK CITY – Police in New York City shot dead a 14-year-old US boy as he was chasing and shooting at another male before dawn on Sunday.
Two rookie officers heard shots around 3 a.m. (0700 GMT), the New York Police Department said in a statement.
The officers went to investigate and saw the teenager, identified as Bronx-resident Shaaliver Douse, armed with a nine millimeter handgun, pursuing and firing at the other young man.
“Ordered to ‘drop the gun’ by the uniformed officers who identified themselves as police, the male with the gun still in his hand, did not comply,” the statement said.
“One of the officers discharged one round from his service weapon, striking the armed male in the lower left jaw. The male was pronounced DOA at the scene.”
The two officers, aged 26 and 27 and with less than seven months experience on the force, were taken to the hospital due to trauma and ringing in their ears. No other injuries were reported.
“A black semi-automatic firearm (Astra A100- 9mm) was recovered at the scene,” the statement said.
Surveillance footage released by the NYPD showed a person in black being chased by another in jeans and a white t-shirt. A photo showed the recovered gun on the sidewalk, both speckled with what appeared to be blood.