Attorney General to investigate death of Jermaine Hickson, shot and killed by police after allegedly firing at officers

The New York Attorney General’s office is investigating the Nov. 10 death of Jermaine Hickson, a Brooklyn man who was shot and killed by police after allegedly opening fire on officers.

Officers from the New York City Police Department heard shots fired near 36th Street and Neptune Avenue in Coney Island just after 10pm, according to the AG’s office and a spokesperson from the New York City Police Department. Two women ran up to officers on patrol nearby and said the gunman was shooting at them. At that time, additional gunfire triggered ShotSpotter and two people called 911 to report the gunshots.

When the NYPD arrived on the scene, they discovered 42-year-old Hickson, who allegedly started shooting at the cops. Officers returned fire and hit Hickson, then performed CPR until emergency medical services arrived.

deli in coney island where jermaine hickson was shot — The 42-year-old was shot and killed after allegedly opening fire on police officers responding to reports of shots fired near Neptune Avenue and West 36th Street in Coney Island. Lloyd Mitchell

The alleged gunman was pronounced dead at the scene, where cops also recovered a gun, according to the AG’s office.

Under state law, the Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation must assess every incident where a police officer may have killed someone, be it “by act or omission,” according to the OSI. If the office finds that an officer caused the death, it begins a full investigation of the event.

NYPD Chief of Patrol Jeffrey Maddrey said at a press conference on the night of the shooting the department believes Hickson was involved in a domestic violence incident at the time of the shootout.

police on scene of jermaine hickson death — Cops found a gun they believed to be Hickson’s and bullet casings on the scene, though they were not able to ascertain which bullets had been fired by Hickson and which had been fired by cops. Lloyd Mitchell

“We believe the two females that initially waved down the sergeant are the victims in this case,” he said.

It was not clear at the time of the shooting how many shots were fired by NYPD members or the suspect, Maddrey said, but he believed that four officers had fired. A department investigation of the incident is ongoing. A number of officers were taken to local hospitals for treatment of minor injuries.

scene of death of jermaine hickson — The Attorney General’s office must investigate any incident where it determines police have caused a death. Lloyd Mitchell

The New York Daily News reported that Hickson struggled with alcoholism after the death of his mother two years ago, and that surveillance video showed him arguing with his girlfriend outside a deli immediately before he began firing.