Shantel Davis

Unarmed 23-year-old Shantel Davis was fatally shot in the chest by NYPD detective Phillip Atkins during a vehicle encounter in East Flatbush on June 14, 2012.

What happened

Plainclothes NYPD detectives followed a Toyota Camry police believed stolen after it ran red lights in Brooklyn. The car collided with a minivan near Church Avenue and East 38th Street. As officers approached, Davis reportedly moved between the driver's and passenger's seats; Detective Phillip Atkins reached inside the car to stop it from moving and his handgun fired once, striking her. Davis was unarmed. Police described the discharge as accidental amid a struggle, while neighborhood residents and her family questioned why the officer approached with a drawn gun and whether the fatal shot was avoidable. Community demonstrations followed. Her sister Natasha Duncan continued seeking police and prosecutorial records years later.

Investigation & findings

The officer's accidental-discharge account is the police version, not a neutral forensic conclusion. The city's previous settlements involving Atkins for alleged misconduct were reported separately; they do not decide the facts of this shooting.

What happened

Investigation & findings

Sources & records