The man accused of killing two New York City police officers in Brooklyn Saturday afternoon was believed to have lived in Georgia and had an extensive arrest record in metro Atlanta.
Ismaaiyl Brinsley allegedly shot two officers, Wenjin Liu and Raphael Ramos, while they sat in their patrol car shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. The two officers were shot with “no warning, no provocation,” officials said. Brinsley then allegedly ran into a nearby subway station and shot himself to death.
Fulton County Jail records show Brinsley, 28, was booked into that jail nine times between 2004 and 2010. The offenses include simple battery, disorderly conduct, theft by shoplifting, criminal trespass, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a knife during the commision of a felony, possession of marijuana, simple battery, and terroristic threats.
Brinsley had active warrants out of Cobb County. According to Channel 2 Action News, he had warrants for probation violation related to theft, firearm possession and criminal property damage charges. Authorities said his last-known address was in Georgia, but he had some ties to Brooklyn.
Brinsley shot and wounded his ex-girlfriend before 6 a.m. Saturday at an apartment near Baltimore, then posted anti-law enforcement messages on social media as he traveled to Brooklyn, according to police authorities in Maryland and New York.
Brinsley wrote on an Instagram account before Saturday’s shootings: “I’m putting wings on pigs today. They take 1 of ours, let’s take 2 of theirs,” according to The Associated Press. He used the hashtags Shootthepolice RIPErivGardner (sic) RIPMikeBrown — references to the two police-involved deaths that have sparked major protests around the country.
“They were, quite simply, assassinated — targeted for their uniform,” said Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, who looked pale and shaken at a hospital news conference.
According to news reports Ramos had been on the job since 2012. He was married, had a 13-year-old son and another son in college. Liu had been on the job for seven years and got married two months ago.
Baltimore County police on Sunday identified Brinsley’s ex-girlfriend as Shaneka Nicole Thompson, 29. Police said she was listed in critical but stable condition at an area hospital. She is expected to survive, according to a report in the Baltimore Sun. Detectives haven’t been able to interview her because of her condition, police said. Detectives hope to interview her as soon as her condition improves. Police said they still don’t know why Brinsley shot Thompson.n They believe he has no ties to the Baltimore area except to her, police told the newspaper.
The Associated Press, Channel 2 Action News and the Baltimre Sun contributed to this report.
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