ME: 2 Brothers Killed by Police Bullets Were Shot in the Back

Bloomberg promises a thorough investigation

Two men shot by police early Sunday during a disturbance in Brownsville were both killed by bullets in the back, according to the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Dwayne David, 22, was shot twice, both bullets to the back, the medical examiner determined. Kayshawn Forde, 21, was also shot twice, in the back and the arm. An autopsy revealed that the fatal bullet was the one in the back.

Rev. Christopher Gill, who is advising the dead men's family says relatives of Forde and David, who were brothers, plan to address the media later Monday.

Paul Browne, Deputy Commissioner for Public Information, said "the fact that remains is you had armed individuals who had just fired being shot by police."

"Justified, yes," he said.

"What I am certain is that there will be a thorough investigation, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said."

The incident started at RJ's Cocktail Lounge on Rutland Road with a dispute at about 3:30 Sunday morning. The commotion led to calls to 9-1-1. Responding officers, including a lieutenant said they saw Forde, David and a third man, Ron Bowen, firing into a crowd of people. The officers have said they fired their weapons only after Ford and David pointed guns at police.

Bowen, who ran away when police approached, was arrested several blocks away. He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon. Only one gun was recovered, a .45 caliber automatic that was found underneath one of the suspects who were shot.

The officer involved fired 16 shots. The lieutenant fired a single shot. Neither had ever used their guns in the line of duty before, according to the NYPD.

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