Albany police say 19-year-old Nacream Moore of Albany, a parolee who served time in state prison on an attempted armed robbery conviction, was a suspect in a home invasion when two officers tried to get him out of a car during a traffic stop Thursday night and ended up shooting him to death when, according to the police chief, Moore pulled out a handgun during a struggle. Moore was shot at 441 South Pearl Street around 10:20 p.m.
One woman, Willisa Marshall, said she was the driver of the car Moore had been in and that the car was parked when the officers approached it. She says she did not see Moore pull out a gun. She said police grabbed Moore to get him out of the car and "tussled with him" for about a minute, then had him face down on the sidewalk and shot him in the back, then turned him over and shot him in the head. She said she heard "more than five" shots. She also said Moore was shot in the chest.
"The officer's partner," said Police Chief Steven Krokoff, "who had disengaged at that point, witnessed it (a gun) and had no choice but to use deadly physical force."
Chief Krokoff made that statement to a roomful of people Krokoff had invited to watch what appeared to have been set up as a news conference. After a few questions from reporters, Krokoff began to entertain questions from the crowd - but it quickly turned into an avalanche of accusations and insults. Krokoff said a grand jury would look into what happened and promised "transparency". He said transparency was the reason he arranged the news conference in the way he did - an effort "to be as inclusive as possible."
"Please, for our community - and it's ourcommunity," Krokoff implored, "allow me the opportunity to find out the answers you are asking. It's time for us to start getting rid of the anger, getting rid of the rage and let's work together. I'm here to work with you. I want you to work with me."
He lost control of the room and walked away from the lectern, where Moore's family, including his mother, Davina Woodard, had been standing quietly next to him.
Later, the chief met with just reporters for a traditional news conference, where he said Moore had been shot three times in the torso, not in the back and not in the head. He says the two officers involved, Jason Kelley and Gregory Mulligan, are on leave, which is routine after such a shooting.
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