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Inwood Police Shooting Creates Anger, Questions Among Advocates

By DNAinfo Staff on October 4, 2010 10:50pm  | Updated on October 5, 2010 7:36am

By Yepoka Yeebo

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

INWOOD — Residents and community activists voiced anger at the NYPD on Monday, a day after four police officers shot and killed an Inwood man who was visibly disturbed and wielding a knife.

The officers were responding to a 911 call made by Emmanuel Paulino, 24, who told the dispatcher, "I want you to call the cops 'cause I'm ready to kill ... I'm ready to kill some cops right now."

After arriving on the scene at Vermilyea Avenue near 207th Street, the four police officers were unable to convince Paulino to drop his knife and shot the man dead.

Gathered around a makeshift memorial of candles and flowers in front of Paulino's home at 122 Vermilyea Ave., friends, family, community residents and activists questioned police conduct and the NYPD's decision to release the 911 call.

"It's basically to try to justify [the officers'] actions, and you can't justify those actions," said Fernando Mateo, the president of Hispanics Across America, who was speaking on behalf of the family.

"Shame on the New York City Police Department," he added.

Speaking during a press conference in front of the memorial, Mateo asked why police repeatedly shot a man armed with a small knife from 30 feet away.

Flanked by Paulino's mother, Liliana Paulino, and his sisters, Mateo also questioned why the NYPD reacted violently to a mentally ill man.

"One shot to the leg could have brought this man down. One shot. We believe 18 shots were fired," he said.

Pointing toward 122 Vermilyea Ave., Mateo said Paulino's mother saw the entire incident from their fourth-floor window.

"Imagine, a mother sees her son killed," he said. "Twelve hours later she's hearing his voice saying: 'I'm gonna kill a cop, I'm gonna kill a cop.' And then he gives them their address. It goes to show that the guy needed help."

Mateo added that the family response was simple: "Our son was sick and they killed him.," he said. "We knew he had issues, he had problems. He wasn't an altar boy."

City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, who represents the area and attended the press conference, called for a full investigation.

Emmanuel Paulino, 24, was shot dead near 207th Street in Inwood after he waved a knife at officers.
Emmanuel Paulino, 24, was shot dead near 207th Street in Inwood after he waved a knife at officers.
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DNAinfo/Yepoka Yeebo