Four Persons Injured in Lakeview Street Shootout with Cops

Multiple gunshots rang out on Lakeview Street this morning where officers on mobile patrol got into a shootout with several persons who had reportedly opened fire on an individual who was walking near Banak Street moments earlier.  When the smoke cleared, four persons had been injured and the area was strewn with shell casings.  The cause of the exchange is said to be an ongoing rivalry among factions of the same gang.  Those four persons were hospitalized for various injuries.  News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

This morning on Lakeview Street, four persons were injured, including a woman, in a barrage of gunshots fired by civilians, as well as a law enforcement officer who happened to be in that vicinity.  The incident happened sometime around 8:30 a.m.  Superintendent Alejandro Cowo is the Officer Commanding the Crimes Investigation Branch at Eastern Division.

Alejandro Cowo

Supt. Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Eastern Division

“Police had been aggressively conducting searches in this area because we know that there’s an increase of rivalry between the two gang elements within that area and early this morning, they responded to shots being fired and upon police arrival, they observed three male persons fleeing from the area.  When police attempted to stop them, they fired shots at the police and the police responded by firing shots at them.”

If the markers that dotted Lakeview Street during the processing of the scene are any indication, well over a dozen rounds were discharged during the shootout.  Kendra Foreman, whose son was one of the four persons injured, gives an entirely different account of what transpired.

Kendra Foreman

Kendra Foreman, Mother of Shooting Victim

“My nephew was on Banak Street, went to Banak Street through the alley and mussi bout a minute after, or less, we heard shots start to fire and he got shot.  Now my nephew deh home and my son deh home and di young lady weh got shot mi deh home di same time.  Soh when dehn yer di shot, my son think da one ah fi he friend through di alley because ih seh ih sound like da fu he friend alley way deh soh.  Soh he get up and ih gaan, di police dehn mi done deh pan si scene already doh.  Soh he get up and ih gaan because he thinking now dat da one ah fi he friend get shot.  Soh Police Linden come and ih sih my son di look fi go through di alley, walk out di yaad di try go through di alleyway deh soh.  Ih shot my son, ih just shot ahn eena ih hand.  My nephew di same way.  Everybody di cohn, ih shot my nephew eena ih side and di same thing ih do with di young lady, Nikita.”

Thirty-four-year-old Nikita Smith was shot in the right knee and was treated and discharged from the K.H.M.H.  Residents say that an internal feud among factions of the Ghost Town Crips has resulted in gun violence.

Pauline Bradley

Pauline Bradley, Sister of Shooting Victim

“The first shooting was from one of the guys dehn that heng on Banak Street with the Meighan dehn, shot one ah di guys dehn weh heng through ya because di gang crowd kinda bruk eena half.  So right now da wahn lee war between Banak crowd and di Mayflower Street crowd and we know this has been happening for months, months.  Noh care how yoh call Chester [Williams] noh care weh yoh tell Chester [Williams] that apparently to he dah only through ya, di crowd dehn through ya da di bad egg.  We noh di swear fi dehn lee bwai and seh dehn good or dehn betta than di crowd through deh.”

According to Superintendent Cowo, quite a few officers responded to the incident and happened upon the men as they were attempting to flee the area.

Supt. Alejandro Cowo

“It was a number of police officers that responded to that shooting.  What we understand is that initially, a male person from the Mayflower Street area was seen walking in the Banak [Street] area and someone from the Banak [Street] area pursued the person and fired shots at him.  Later on, that person came back along with other persons and they fired shots at the other person who had fired shots at them earlier and as a result, while that was happening, the three male persons were fleeing at the same time when gteh unmarked police arrived and they and they had the shootout between them.”

Earlier this week, Kendra Foreman had given an interview to News Five in which she vented her frustration with the situation and what she says is a deliberate profiling of her son by law enforcement.

Kendra Foreman

“I noh even know what more fi seh.  I tyad, ah physically, mentally and emotionally frustrated with dehn ya police ya.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.