Police say they have come up empty-handed after searching for a weapon in connection to a police-involved shooting on the Saw Mill River Parkway.
An NYPD officer shot and killed 36-year-old Miguel Espinal after a police chase from the Bronx to Tibbets Brook Park in Yonkers.
Initial reports had stated that Espinal might be armed. Private investigator Gil Alba says if the suspect was armed, it would have played a key role in how any officer would respond and react.
"The only time you can shoot somebody is when somebody is trying to kill you or kill somebody else," he says.
Police say there was some kind of confrontation in the park between Espinal and the NYPD officer that led to the officer's gun being discharged.
If there was a struggle and if Espinal went for the officer's gun, Alba says the officer would not be at fault.
"I think at this point, it's justified," he says.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact them at 1-877-220-3560.