Witnesses Contradict Police: Black Man Killed by Police at Brooklyn Housing Project

Plainclothes police officers on patrol at a Brooklyn housing project early yesterday shot and killed a local boxer. Police officials would not say why officers confronted the man, Montique Smalls, 39, outside 423 Baltic Street in the Gowanus Houses in the Boerum Hill section, shortly after midnight.  Law enforcement sources and police gave this account: Plainclothes officers from the anti-crime unit drove up between 186 and 198 Bond Street near the corner of Baltic Street in Boerum Hill at shortly after midnight where Smalls was standing. Three officers and one sergeant "saw something that indicated to them that he had a gun," a police official said. When Smalls saw the cops he immediately ran. "When they pulled up, he started the jet streams," a source said. The four officers hopped out the unmarked car and chased Smalls 150 feet into the courtyard of the Gowanus Houses. During the chase, cops identified themselves and demanded Smalls to stop. According to a witness cited by police, the officers shouted, "Police! Don't move! Police! Stop! Freeze!" At some point, Smalls doubled back and ran at two of the officers, who fired. Some residents challenged the police account, saying Smalls wasn't known to carry a gun. Ramona Hamilton, 44, ran to her window when she heard the shots. "He was holding the fence with both his hands," she said. "The boy didn't have no gun in his hands." Ms. Wilson said she heard the shooting through her window, but did not hear any shouted commands. "I didn't hear anybody say, 'Get down, get down,' " she said. "Absolutely not." Neighbors said that Mr. Smalls, an amateur boxer, was well known in the community, and that they thought he had been walking a dog when the shooting occurred. Chandra Wilson, 40, a seamstress who identified herself as a longtime friend of Mr. Smalls's, said of his boxing matches, "He'd fight with his hands and when it was over, they'd shake hands." "He didn't carry a gun," she added. "He didn't carry a grudge." But police officials said a witness told them she saw Mr. Smalls with a pistol two weeks ago. The police said a witness reported hearing the officers identify themselves as they chased Mr. Smalls and ordered him to stop. [more] and [more]