New Haven Police Fatal Shooting of Black Man in Public Housing Elevator Justified
Saturday, April 9, 2005 at 10:50PM
TheSpook
Police Claim that for NO Reason
Mack Lucky Pulled out a Knife & Assaulted Police Officer. Police
Dog had Nothing to do with it.
State’s Attorney Michael Dearington
concluded that a city police officer was justified in using deadly
force against Mack Lucky, who menaced the officer with a knife in an
apartment building elevator. Officer Elliot Rosa shot and killed Lucky
on Nov. 8 in an elevator at 904 Howard Ave., a public-housing complex
for senior citizens and the disabled. "Officer Rosa’s use of deadly
force in causing the death of Mack Lucky was both reasonable and
justified," Dearington wrote in his report. Dearington found that Rosa
acted in self-defense and couldn’t retreat in the elevator. Rosa, who
had an 8-month-old black Labrador dog with him, was moving into the
building as part of a police officer-in-residence program when he
encountered Lucky, 57, who lived there for six years. The dog was the
subject of the initial confrontation, as Lucky told Rosa the dog had
better stay away from him or he’d hit it over the head with his laundry
bag. [According to the shooting officer] in the elevator, Lucky pulled
out a knife and said in an angry tone that he "had something for" Rosa,
the officer told police. As Rosa reached for his weapon, Lucky
allegedly lunged forward with the knife. "It was clear to me that Mr.
Lucky was attacking me with the knife and I feared for my life," Rosa
indicated. Rosa then shot him. The discovery of a knife by Lucky’s hand
supports Rosa’s version of events, according to Dearington. "Although
there are no identifiable prints on the knife, it makes sense that it
belonged to Mr. Lucky," Dearington wrote. "He was known to carry a
folding knife and the weapon was found under his right hand." Lucky was
shot in the chest. Barbara Fair, coordinator at People Against
Injustice, said she isn’t surprised by the outcome of the
investigation. "It seems like no matter what police do — they can have
someone on the ground and shoot them in the back of the head — they are
always justified," she said. "It was sad to see so many elderly people
mourning over someone they knew for years," she said. "His kids had
nothing but his body in a casket, and for what?" [more]
Article originally appeared on (http://brownwatch.com/).
See website for complete article licensing information.