Release of 911 Audio Criticized in Police Shooting

WNYC News | Oct 4, 2010

The family of a man shot dead by police officers is objecting to having 911 tapes released before the investigation was complete.

On Sunday, 24-year-old Emmaunuel Paulino allegedly confronted officers with a knife, refused to drop it and then lunged at them when they opened fire.

Paulino apparently called 911 before the incident, and told a dispatcher he planned to kill police officers.

A spokesman for the family, Fernando Matteo, says making the recording of the call public less than 12 hours after the shooting was inappropriate.

"What they released was information to try to turn public opinion on their side and all that did was not only hurt a community -- it hurt a grieving mother who saw her son being murdered from that window upstairs."

A spokesman says the NYPD was responding to published reports that "misquoted" the 911 call and chose to release a transcript of the call to let it speak for itself.

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