Huffington Post According to a new report from the NYPD, 16 people were shot and killed by police gunfire in 2012, a 78 percent increase from the year before.
The latest statistics, released on Tuesday, also show the total number of discharges rose from 92 to 105 during the same time period.
No officers were killed in these conflicts, but 13 were shot.
The report includes the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Ramarley Graham, who was unarmed when he was killed by officer Richard Haste. Graham’s death sparked major protests with demonstrators demanding an end to aggressive police tactics.
Ten bystanders were hit by police bullets in 2012, according to the report, nine of whom were injured during the shooting near the Empire State Building in July of 2012. All victims in that chaotic incident were wounded by police gunfire.
Following the shooting, which involved a gunman killing a former coworker nearby,Police Commissioner Ray Kelly defended police action.
“When you’re told that someone just killed someone around the corner, and five seconds later that person identified as the shooter points the gun at you … it was the appropriate action to take,” Kelly said.
As recently as Monday, a knife-wielding man was fatally shot by police in Bushwick.
The 74-page report coincides with the release of new stop-and-frisk data Monday. The latest numbers show that the number of police stops has plummeted, in recent months, with fewer weapons recovered.
New York City is on pace to have a record-low number of murders in 2013.
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