State police have confirmed the names of the officers involved in a shooting incident in New Rochelle that has left one man in critical condition.
According to state police, New Rochelle police officers approached Jerrel Garris, 37, in connection with an alleged theft from a local grocery store on Lincoln Avenue at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Monday.
Body camera footage from Kari Bird, Gabrielle Chavarry, and Detective Steven Conn shows the officers questioning Garris about the alleged theft prior to the arrest attempt. A struggle ensued, and Conn can be heard calling for the officers to use a Taser on Garris.
One of the officers can be seen pulling out a Taser, but before she can shoot, police claim Garris tried to grab one of the officer’s guns and pull it from the holster.
The video stops before the shot is fired, but investigators say Conn fired one round from his department-issued gun striking Garris. No additional shots were discharged.
Following the shooting, the officers immediately administered lifesaving techniques, and Garris was subsequently transported to Westchester Medical Center, where he remains in critical condition.
This incident comes after a police-involved shooting in the city in June 2020. New Rochelle police reported that during a foot chase, Kamal Flowers, 24, brandished a firearm and attempted to fire at officers, resulting in Flowers being fatally shot. Notably, in that case, the department faced criticism for delaying the release of video footage obtained from private businesses for four days.
In contrast, the New Rochelle Police Department promptly released the body camera footage from the recent shooting just hours after the incident. Mayo Bartlett, a civil rights and criminal defense attorney, commended the decision, stating, "I think that's the first step toward trying to get it right and also making sure there is not a gulf between the community and the police department."
The investigation into the incident is being jointly conducted by the New York State Police and the Westchester County District Attorney's Office.