Jan 26, 2008 12:59 pm US/Eastern
Sharpton Speaks Out On White Plains Cop Shooting
Officer Gunned Down Outside Courthouse By Police
Reporting
Lou Young
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (CBS) ―
The Reverend Al Sharpton wants to know why a police officer was fatally shot outside a White Plains government building.
Officer Christopher Ridley, 23, from nearby Mount Vernon was gunned down by Westchester County cops assigned to the Social Services building in White Plains.
The shooting took place just before 5 p.m. on Friday outside a courthouse.
Sharpton planned to hold a news conference with Ridley's family were White Plains Saturday afternoon to demand a thorough investigation.
CBS 2 HD's Tony Aiello witnessed part of the incident from the window of the county press room across the street.
He said county police, who staff that building, came rushing out, surrounded the officer and when he refused to drop his weapon, they opened fire.
Aiello, who was inside the building at the time, reported hearing a gunshot. Aiello said he ran to the window and saw several police officers surrounding a man in a white sweatshirt.
Aiello ran to grab a camera to take pictures, and said he then heard five or six more gunshots. When he came back to the window, the man in white had been shot dead.
Westchester County Legislator George Oros was at street level on his way home. He said it looked like it was all over when the man in the sweatshirt suddenly made a move.
"I was about 100 feet away Lou, so it was hard to tell what was in his hand," Oros said. "I could clearly see because of the white sweatshirt the right arm out like this as he got up. … Then the shots."
Of all the witnesses we spoke with they heard the same thing -- one shot, a pause and a flurry of shots as local cops took down the man with the gun. The shocking thing is to learn that the man with the gun was a police officer himself.
White Plains Public Safety Deputy Commissioner Daniel Jackson gave reporters the deceased officer's name and age, but said the reason for him being in White Plains on Friday is still under investigation.
At least one man was taken from the scene in cuffs, apparently related to the argument that led up to the shooting. But so far, no charges have been filed.
Stay with wcbstv.com and CBS 2 HD for the latest in this developing story.
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