NYPD says officers fatally shot man waving gun during fight in Inwood

NEW YORK — The NYPD is investigating the death of a 28-year-old man who was shot by police early Sunday morning in Inwood.

Police said the officers were responding to an argument and opened fire after the man did not listen to repeated commands to drop his gun.

His family told CBS2’s Lisa Rozner the man was loved by many in the community, and no one is giving them any answers.

Surveillance video taken just before 3 a.m. Sunday shows an argument escalate into a physical altercation. The NYPD said officers pulled up to the intersection of Dyckman and Nagle streets and saw a man pull out a gun.

“They observe a male with a gun in his hand fighting in the crowd. The officers exit their vehicle, they give commands for the person to drop the firearm,” NYPD Chief of Patrol Jeffrey Maddrey said. “They yell repeated commands and then at some point officers discharged their weapons. They discharge multiple rounds, striking the suspect with the gun about the body.”

The man was pronounced dead at the hospital. Jeni Rodriguez identified him as Joel Capellan.

“My son lived at home with his mother. There’s no guns in my home. I don’t own a gun. My son did not own a gun. Where is the ballistics that say that gun belonged to him? He didn’t deserve to be shot over seven times,” Rodriguez said.

“How can we walk the streets of Dyckman now knowing that our closest loved one was just laying there like an animal and his body was just alone. What was his last words? Did he want someone there?” sister Kayla Capellan said.

The family said Joel Capellan was out for a friend’s birthday and came across the wrong people at the wrong time. His mother said he was on parole for two crimes committed years ago, and in the last year he had moved back home and was trying to get a job.

“My son was known in the community for being helpful, for helping out the old ladies with the grocery bags, for being a nice kid,” Rodriguez said.

“His smile when he walked into a room, it lit up the whole world. He was so great,” Kayla Capellan said.

On Sunday afternoon, a peace walk was held. Organizers walked from Upper Manhattan to the Bronx. They addressed the incident.

“It brings us just this urgent … this urgency that we actually need to be together, get together, all of us,” said Assemblywoman Yudelka Tapia, who represents the 86th District.

The investigation is still ongoing. Police said one other man was taken to the hospital with a graze wound, but they are not sure how it occurred.

Joel Capellan’s family said no one from the NYPD or the city has contacted them since the incident happened.