A community is recovering after a shootout with police left one man dead and another in the hospital after being shot 21 times.
According to published reports, police were responding to call about a fight between Luis Soto and Angel Alvarez, once police arrived on the scene is when one source states ‘all hell broke loose.’
Police state that Alavarez drew a weapon and fired four shots before being riddled with 21 bullets after police fired 47 shots.
In the aftermath, victim Soto was left dead after being shot in the chest by what ballistic evidence confirms was a bullet of a police officer.
Plainclothes NYPD Officer Michael Tedeschi, was hit in the chest by another cop’s bullet, but survived thanks to his bulletproof vest.
Another cop was grazed in the hand and 3 civilians also suffered minor gunshot wounds.
Ballistic evidence confirms that the 3 civilians were also hit by police fire.
“We have no reason at this juncture to believe that they were involved in any wrongdoing. They just happened to be there,” Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly told the New York Daily News. “Because of that, and the number of shots, this is going to be a shooting where the tactics are taken a hard look at.”
Although police are calling the case justified, witnesses state that it is just another case of police brutality.
“They were fist-fighting. I heard one fired shot before the police fired. When the first shot let off, Angel was still fist-fighting,” Shariff Spencer told the New York Daily News.”Police gunned down both of them. Never one time did you hear, ‘Freeze,’ did you hear, ‘Stop.’ Not ‘NYPD.’ Not nothing. All you heard was shots.”
Angel Alvarez
