On a late September night in 2019, the life of 33-year-old Brian Mulkeen, a male NYPD officer, was cut tragically short in the Bronx. The events that led to his death unfolded near the Edenwald Houses, a public housing complex known for recent gang activity. Mulkeen, a member of the Bronx Borough Anti-Crime Unit, was on patrol with his partners in plainclothes when they spotted a man who aroused their suspicion.
When the officers attempted to question the man, identified as 27-year-old
Antonio Williams, he fled on foot. Mulkeen immediately gave chase and caught up to Williams, leading to a violent struggle between the two. As they wrestled on the ground, Mulkeen radioed that Williams was reaching for a weapon. The confrontation escalated rapidly, and in a chaotic span of just ten seconds, a total of 15 shots were fired by multiple officers who had responded to the scene. Tragically, two of the bullets that struck Mulkeen were from his fellow officers' guns. He was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Antonio Williams was also shot and killed during the exchange of gunfire. A. 32-caliber handgun was recovered from him at the scene. It was later determined that Williams had not fired his weapon. In the aftermath of the incident, the Bronx District Attorney's office conducted an investigation and ultimately cleared the officers involved of any criminal wrongdoing in the deaths of both Mulkeen and Williams, concluding that the use of deadly force was not criminal. The family of Antonio Williams later filed a lawsuit, alleging the stop was unlawful and that officers used excessive force. Officer Brian Mulkeen was posthumously promoted to the rank of Detective First Grade.
