Police kill teen wielding a hairbrush
An unarmed, mentally ill teenager could be heard cursing and yelling “I’ve got a gun!” during a frantic 911 call made by his exasperated mother before police arrived and killed him with a 20-bullet barrage, according to a tape of the call released Tuesday.
Police officials said Khiel Coppin, 18, suddenly charged them outside his mother’s home, with a black object in his hand that turned out to be a hairbrush.
The district attorney is investigating, but Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said that the officers’ response appeared to have been within NYPD guidelines.
Coppin’s family denounced the Police Department for quickly concluding that the officers were justified.
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