Law enforcement expert weighs in on use of deadly force in Tipperary Hill shooting - CNYcentral.com

SYRACUSE N.Y. — The shooting and killing of Allison Lakie by a Syracuse police officer on Tipperary Hill on Wednesday morning is the focus of an investigation by the New York State Attorney General.

The incident that led to Lakie’s death was a mental health call where police were joined by emergency response counselors who are called on to try and diffuse these situations.

Syracuse police cruisers were back on the scene at Ulster Street on Thursday afternoon: over 24 hours after at least one Syracuse officer fired their weapon, killing Lakie.

Police tape is still up at the Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) investigates whether police were justified in using deadly force.

The shooting of Lakie is the latest case of an officer-involved shooting to end up in the office of Attorney General Letitia James.

Law enforcement expert Keith Taylor says the process is important so that the public can have confidence in the outcome.

“Transparency should help to restore trust in the public regarding whether the officer acted appropriately in circumstances that involve the use of deadly force,” said Taylor.

Taylor says there are a lot of legal hurdles that must be overcome when an officer is accused of criminal wrongdoing in a shooting.

In this case, the fact that body cameras were worn by at least some of the officers on the scene should be helpful in getting to the truth of what happened.

“You can trust but verify through the use of going through the videotapes and not seeing just the police side or civilians' side, but what’s captured,” said Taylor.

According to Taylor, in many cases, officers who resort to using lethal force do so because they are in life-threatening situations.

Taylor also says, “that should be the very last solution on the list of options.”

On Wednesday morning, there were calls 9-1-1 calls indicating Allison Lakie was in crisis, making threats, and lighting fires. At some point, she also charged officers with a knife.

Amid a nationwide push to take some of the burden of mental health calls off of police, Taylor says it's a good thing to have mental health professionals help in these situations.

He warns though, that interventions might not always prevent a tragedy.

“Ultimately, if you have someone that charges the police with deadly weapons and they may also be charging the crisis prevention team members, the police have to act,” said Taylor.

Some of the officers on the scene were wearing body cameras and it is expected that footage will become critical evidence as the Attorney General’s office continues its investigation.

Syracuse police have a policy of waiting 72 hours after a critical incident to reveal the names of officers involved.

source: https://cnycentral.com/news/local/law-enforcement-expert-weighs-in-on-use-of-deadly-force-in-tipperary-hill-shooting

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