Nathaniel Levi Gaines facts for kids

Nathaniel Levi Gaines (1971 – July 4, 1996) was an African-American resident of Yonkers, New York who, in a case of illegal use of deadly force, was fatally shot by a member of the New York City Transit Police, a division of the New York City Police Department. Gaines was a veteran of service in the Persian Gulf War, and was known to have no criminal record, nor any history of encounters with police or law enforcement agencies.

Shooting

The July 4, 1996 altercation between Gaines and police officer Paolo Colecchia, which resulted in Gaines' death, occurred on the 167th Street subway station platform of the "D" line in the Bronx. Collechia reported after the incident that there had been a struggle between himself and Gaines in the subway station, claiming that Gaines had tried to grab his gun and push him onto the railway track. However, it became clear that the officer knew during the struggle that Gaines was not in possession of any weapon.

See also

• List of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States