NYPD Shoots Accidentally Kills Unarmed Bodega Worker During Robbery

A bodega worker in New York was accidentally shot and killed by an NYPD officer who was responding to a report of an armed robbery.

When police arrived at the scene they found three robbers, the store’s manager, and 20-year-old Reynaldo Cuevas inside the store. The arrival of the police caused a panick inside the store and confusion out on the street. When Cuevas ran out of the store he was mistakenly taken for one of the robbers and was shot and killed.

The NY Daily News reports that the NYPD claims that Cuevas ran into one of the officers and that the officer’s gun was accidentally fired. An eye witness at the scene said that Cuevas was shot immediately as he fled the store.

Jose Garcia, 27, who witnessed the shooting, said:

“The owner opened the door and came out with his hands up… He said, ‘They’re robbing me! They’re robbing me!’ (Cuevas) just came out running… They thought he was one of the robbers, but he just worked there, and they shot him.”

All three burglars were arrested after the incident. One surrendered immediately while the other two hunkered down in the store for a few hours. Cuevas was the only person hurt in the incident.

This is the second time this month that stray NYPD bullets have made the news. A shooting at the Empire State Building earlier this month left two people dead and another nine injured. The NYPD said that stray bullets had injured all nine of the bystanders during that incident.