Man Killed By Police Had Pellet Gun, Officers Were Told

EAST NORTHPORT, NY — Suffolk police officers who fatally shot Jeffrey McClure on June 7 at his East Northport home were told he was carrying a pellet gun in the moments leading up to the shooting, according to police scanner transmissions obtained by Patch.

McClure, 26, was shot after he pointed the pellet gun, which officers believed was a hunting rifle, at them and threatened to shoot, police said.

Donald McClure, Jeffrey's father, told ABC 7 Eyewitness News he called police because he wanted his son brought to the hospital for psychiatric help. Donald McClure said his son was shooting the pellet gun inside the Grant Street home and told him he wanted "to go to the hospital" — information that his father relayed to police, ABC 7 reported.

Suffolk County police Chief Gerard Gigante said police were also told Jeffrey McClure was in his basement, where he had access to other weapons.

Donald McClure told News 12 Long Island he feels police "did the wrong job."

"I mean why can't they talk to people instead of killing them dead," Donald McClure told News 12.

At 10:17 p.m. on the night of the shooting, an officer was heard on scanner audio saying, "We have a subject with supposedly a pellet gun. I'm not sure." A few seconds later, the officer is heard saying "He’s pointing it at me! Don’t point the gun at me!"

Roughly 30 seconds later, an officer is heard saying, "We got a male who’s shooting a pellet gun around in the house."

Then, a few seconds later, an officer says, "The subject’s pointing the pellet gun at the units that pulled up," followed by another officer saying, "Be advised he has a gun. They say it’s a pellet gun. He has pointed it at us."

Jeffrey McClure went into the basement sometime before 10:20 p.m. before heading into the backyard, police said over the scanner.

"Upon police arrival, a resident of the home indicated to officers that Jeffrey McClure had access to other weapons in the basement and that he was in the basement," Suffolk County police Chief Gerard Gigante told ABC 7.

Jeffrey McClure eventually went up to the roof, where he pointed his pellet gun at officers and was shot, police said.

"Subject pointed a firearm at the police," an officer said over the scanner at 10:25 p.m. "Police took the subject out. He is no longer a threat."

When the basement was searched following the shooting, three long guns, a half-dozen hand guns and ammunition were found, police said.

"The Suffolk County Police Department expresses its sympathies to the McClure family," the department said in a statement. "As with any police response, it is always our goal to have a peaceful conclusion. Upon police arrival, a resident of the home indicated to officers that Jeffrey McClure had access to other weapons. The incident is still under investigation, but the preliminary investigation determined that Jeffrey McClure pointed what appeared to be a rifle from a roof while threatening to shoot officers. He ignored officers' requests to drop the gun."

The McClure family and their attorney are scheduled to meet next week with the New York Attorney General, ABC 7 reported.