Police shot and killed a man during a wild gun battle near the Gowanus housing projects on Tuesday night.
Two plainclothes officers with the 76th Precinct were on Hoyt Street patrolling in an unmarked car at around 8 pm, when they heard gunshots and went to investigate, according to police.
The cops confronted the shooter on Baltic Street between Hoyt and Bond streets, and the resulting fire fight ended with police shooting 30-year-old Nasueen Prioleau several times, cops said.
A 9mm semi-automatic handgun was recovered from the scene, according to police.
Cops say Prioleau had a lengthy rap-sheet, and had been released from jail on parole last week after serving five years for robbery.
“This incident also underscores the urgency of getting illegal firearms off our streets,” said NYPD Chief of Department Terrence Monahan, who spoke to reporters at a press conference following the shooting Tuesday night.
Prioleau was transported to Brookdale Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead at around 1 am. The two officers were uninjured, but were taken to a separate hospital for evaluation, authorities say.
Gowanus residents say violence between police and locals is a regular occurrence.
“I’m sick and tired of this, regardless of whether he deserved it or not,” said Zac Martin, a community organizer in Gowanus who was observing the crime scene.
Other residents questioned if the NYPD had been too trigger–happy in their attempt to disarm the suspect.
“It doesn’t take more than two bullets or one bullet to really disarm someone,” said Shanduke McPhatter, who claimed to know the victim. “So often, NYPD or law enforcement as a whole believes that the most shots is the way to stop it.”
