Shooting of Deborah Danner

Deborah Danner, 66, was fatally shot by New York Police Department Sgt. Hugh Barry on October 18, 2016, in her home in the Bronx, New York. She was allegedly armed with a baseball bat and a pair of scissors.

A neighbor had called 911 at 6:05 p.m. and reported that Danner was erratic.^[1] Police had been called to her apartment before. According to the police: Danner had scissors, and Barry talked her into putting them down. Then she picked up a baseball bat and swung at him. Barry shot Danner twice, fatally wounding her. He was the only officer in the bedroom, although others were on the scene.

Background

Danner was mentally ill and had written an essay, “Living With Schizophrenia", in 2012.^[2]

Aftermath

Less than six hours after the death, Barry was placed on administrative duty and stripped of his badge and gun.^[3] According to The New York Times, "Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference that the sergeant had not followed training or protocols for dealing with those with mental illness, and for some reason had neither used his Taser nor waited for specialized officers trained to deal with such situations."^[4]

The death of Danner, who was black, spurred a protest on October 19. Protestors marched from her apartment building to the 43rd Precinct station house. Marchers included members of the New York Black Lives Matter chapter.^[5]

References