PO Jason Rivera
Officer: New York City Police Department (NYPD) Police Officer Jason Rivera
Date: 1/21/2022 Location: Harlem, NY FACTORS (1,2,4,6,7,15,18,19,21)
Perpetrator(s) Involved: Lashawn McNeil
Criminal Activity History/Involved: Yes, McNeil was a convicted felon with arrests spanning three states for unlawful possession of a weapon, assaulting a police officer, and misdemeanor and felony narcotics charges. / Yes, while the officers responded to a non-violent domestic dispute, McNeil illegally possessed a stolen Glock 45 gun and high-capacity magazine
Mental Illness: Yes, McNeil repeated conspiracy theories and his mother said, “His mental state is very distorted.”
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Yes, McNeil had prior narcotics arrests./ None stated.
Race/Sex/Age: Black/Male/47
What prompted the initial contact with the killer? At around 6:15 p.m. on January 21, 2022, three NYPD officers responded to a 911 call of a domestic disturbance between a mother and her son, Lashawn McNeil, at their apartment. After being informed by the mother that they had an argument over food, McNeil refused to come out of his room as she called out to him so PO Sumit Sulan remained with the mother as PO’s Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora went to speak with McNeil in his bedroom.
Actions taken by subject toward police: Before the officers could make it down the long hallway to the bedroom, McNeil opened up the door and opened fire at the officers, fatally shooting PO Rivera in the head. After stepping over PO Rivera’s body, the officer’s bodycam videos show McNeil continued firing at PO Mora who managed to get a shot off before being shot in the head. McNeil then tried to flee the apartment.
Reactions by the police: As the armed McNeil ran toward the front door, PO Sulan managed to shoot him in the arm and head, incapacitating him. Rescue was called and the two officers were transported to the hospital where PO Rivera was declared dead, and PO Mora survived a few days before passing away on January 25th. McNeil was transported to the hospital where he later died.
How murdered? PO Rivera was shot in the head while handling a domestic dispute.
What could have been done differently for the officer to still be alive? Nothing, the officers were in the fatal funnel and since it was a no-arrest situation and no weapons were disclosed by the mother, they had no reason to think the subject would come out shooting.
Would the officer have been justified to use deadly force before being murdered? PO’s Rivera and Mora were ambushed, and PO Sulan justifiably used deadly force.
Outcome for the cop-killer: McNeil was justifiably killed in the gun battle.
Miscellaneous: McNeil’s anti-police social media posts included a video of rap song, “Hands Up” dedicated to “victims of police violence” with lyrics “For Mike Brown and Sean Bell, a cop got to get killed”, while showing the two rappers pointing guns at cops’ heads. Had McNeil still been in prison for his 2003 narcotics conviction in NY instead of out free on probation, PO Rivera could still be alive.
