The teary sister of a man gunned down by Newburgh, N.Y. police this week interrupted a news conference on Friday to tell officials that they are "all murderers."
“You all are murderers. You all murdered my brother in my living room,” Cherry Lembhard told Newburgh Police Chief Michael Ferrara on Friday at a briefing about the shooting.
Michael Lembhard, 22, was shot and killed by police late Wednesday night after police say he lunged at them with a knife.
Friday afternoon’s news conference was intended to be an update on the circumstances of the shooting, but Ferrara barely had time to get into the explanation before shouts from the community drowned him out.
“I seen how you shot that boy while he was on the ground,” yelled another woman who repeatedly called Ferrara a liar.
Police say they had an outstanding warrant out for the arrest of Lembhard, who had a long rap sheet. When officers spotted him in town, they say he ran away into an apartment building.
Officers chased him, and claim they opened fire when Lembhard came at them with a knife.
The officers were not hurt and have been placed on paid leave during the investigation.
Officials ended the news conference after the outbursts.
Newburgh Mayor Judy Kennedy called for a meeting Friday night in Newburgh City Hall. She is expected to discuss a request to appoint a special prosecutor to independently investigate the shooting.
