Police have closed Elk Street between Robin Street and North Lake Avenue and investigators are on the scene of a reported officer-involved shooting in Albany's West Hill neighborhood. Acting Albany police chief Mike Basile told reporters that detectives responded to a reported fight, possibly involving a handgun, on the 200 block of Central Avenue, at about 4:30 on Monday afternoon. When confronted by police, a man matching the description of the possibly armed suspect ran toward Elk Street. Detectives gave chase. The suspect was fired upon and struck by a detective near 395 Elk Street. The suspect was taken to Albany Medical Center for treatment. The acting chief had no word on his condition. Investigators found a large hunting knife near the scene of the shooting. Investigators remain on the scene.<doc-sep>ALBANY — A group of young men who were kicked out of a Central Avenue convenience store returned with weapons Monday — prompting a police chase that ended with one of the men shot by a detective, a store employee said. On Wednesday, the store employee said groups of men regularly gathered outside, occasionally harassing other customers. On Sunday, another employee confronted several people who refused to leave the store when asked, the employee said. On Monday, several of those people returned, the employee said, prompting him to kick them out. Three returned later in the afternoon and the employee, who spoke on condition that his identity or the name of the store not be used for fear of retaliation, said he asked them to leave. One of the men, who the store employee believed to be Ellazar Williams, the 19-year-old later shot by police, lifted his shirt and flashed a handgun, the employee said. He said another man had a knife. "OK, if you're a big guy, go ahead and shoot me," he said. At that point, someone nearby called 911. The group fled when police arrived. The men ran in three different directions, according to police. Detectives who responded to the scene chased Williams, who police said matched the description of the man with the gun. The chase ended behind the Tony Clement Center for Education, a city school on Elk Street in West Hill, when one detective shot Williams. No handgun was found, but police said a hunting knife was discovered near Williams. He's being treated at Albany Medical Center Hospital and remained in critical condition on Wednesday. Police have not said why the detective shot. A number of other questions about the case remain unanswered, including whether police leaders believe the shooting was justified, how many shots were fired, how many hit Williams and where they hit him. But the description of what happened at the convenience store offers a glimpse into what preceded the police shooting, Albany's second in two months. On Tuesday, police said the detectives involved in the Williams case are James Olsen, Lawrence Heid and Christopher Cornell. They were evaluated at the hospital on Monday, and are currently on administrative leave. In the shooting's aftermath on Monday, acting Chief Michael Basile said detectives took "appropriate action" in chasing Williams but would not comment further on the shooting. Williams, who is from Binghamton, moved to Albany several months ago. City police detectives do not yet wear body cameras. The school has exterior security cameras but it's unclear whether they captured the shooting. Reached by the Times Union on Wednesday, Basile said he had nothing new to say about the still-unfolding investigation. Department officials have said it could be days before additional information is released. The investigation comes as the city prepares to welcome a new police chief, Eric Hawkins, a 50-year-old chief from Southfield, Mich., whose appointment by Mayor Kathy Sheehan was approved by the Common Council on Tuesday. Sheehan's office announced Wednesday that he will be on the job Sept. 5, with a swearing-in ceremony planned for Sept. 7. On June 22, police were called to 61 Partridge St. at 11:30 p.m. to investigate a report of an armed man. They arrived to find 20-year-old Schuyler Lake stabbing his mother with a knife. They shot him dead and within hours then-police Chief Robert Sears declared the shooting justified. Anyone who witnessed Monday's incident can call the department's Office of Professional Standards at 518-462-8017.<doc-sep>ALBANY — Eric Hawkins joins the Albany police to lead the department while the city grapples with a police shooting and a spike in violence this summer. The Common Council on Tuesday unanimously approved Hawkins’s appointment after more than two hours of peppering the 50-year-old Michigan native with questions on diversity, recruitment to police training and interactions with the public, including people with mental health issues. “Dignity and respect is key,” Hawkins said. I want “to make sure as chief I get out there, make sure they hear directly from me that I value all segments of our community. I’m aware of some of the issues the community has, and I’m willing to work with the community in addressing any concerns that they have.” This encompasses the underserved populations and people of color, the LGBTQ community, the officers in the department and all those in the community, he emphasized. Hawkins comes to Albany from Southfield, Mich., where he was the Detroit suburb's police chief of a department where he spent nearly 30 years rising through the ranks. He was Mayor Kathy Sheehan's choice to be chief. Former Police Chief Robert Sears retired last month. In July, the council approved bumping the police chief's salary to $145,000. Councilman Derek Johnson, who represents the 2nd Ward, expressed concern early on about hiring someone from outside the department, but has since been impressed by Hawkins. He was unable to attend Tuesday night’s special meeting but offered his support. “I just look at like this is my job to work with him, welcome him to our city and try to build the relationship that I had with Chief (Brendan) Cox as well as Chief Sears,” Johnson said. Hawkins joins the department at a time when the city has had nine homicides in the first seven months of the year. The total eclipsed all homicides for 2017. On Monday, a police detective shot 19-year-old Ellazar Williams, of Binghamton, who fit the description of someone police believed to be armed and involved in an alleged brawl that afternoon on Central Avenue. The shooting happened outside a public school, Tony Clement Center for Education, on Elk Street. Police said Tuesday the man was in critical but stable condition yet offered few details on what transpired. It was the first police shooting since officers shot and killed Schulyer Lake on June 23. Lake, 20, was stabbing his mother when officers arrived and shot him to stop the attack. Although he did not speak directly about Monday’s police-involved shooting, Hawkins said he’s willing to review how councilmembers are notified of violence in their neighborhoods. “There’s a lot of concerns and a lot of fear in the community right now. The instinct and impulse is to implement a quick fix for these problems with the police department,” Hawkins said of the spike in violence. “What I urge our community to resist is exactly that – a quick fix – because using your police department to fix these problems can have some unintended consequences.” City leaders said Hawkins was selected for his accomplishments and commitment to community policing. The Michigan native's resume highlights implementation of a neighborhood watch program, strengthening community relations through citizen- and youth-police academies, and creation of a citizens' advisory board. He also brought employee training programs to the Southfield department, including sessions on cultural competency, implicit bias, lethal force and mental health awareness. Councilman Owusu Anane, who represents the Pine Hills neighborhood, said that when Sheehan announced Hawkins appointment, residents were supportive and positive about it. “I believe that our new police chief, who is experienced, has demonstrated a commitment to the principles of community policing,” Anane said. “I look forward to addressing the criminal justice challenges our city faces. We are in this together.” Hawkins is be Albany's second African-American chief. The first, John A. Dale, was appointed by Mayor Thomas M. Whalen III in 1989. Since then, the city department has been led by nine different chiefs. All but one of them came from within the department. Myrtle Avenue resident Dannielle Hille urged councilmembers to hold off on voting on the appointment until the community has time to connect with Hawkins. “I am a little disappointed that the chief candidate hasn’t been made available to the public,” she said. “If it’s going to truly be a collaboration of the community, I believe there should be an opportunity.” While all councilmembers supported the appointment of Hawkins Tuesday night, several encouraged Hawkins to explore the community and get to know the residents and the culture of Albany.<doc-sep>
ALBANY — A man who police said was armed with a knife and suspected of carrying a gun was shot by a city detective outside a public school in West Hill late Monday afternoon. The man who was shot was taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital, acting Police Chief Mike Basile told reporters at a press briefing at Elk Street and North Lake Avenue. Police tape blocked a section of Elk Street outside the school, located at 395 Elk St. A representative of Attorney General Barbara Underwood's office — former Albany County District Attorney Paul Clyne — was surveying the scene. Basile described the sequence of events as follows: About 4:30 p.m, police received a call about a large fight on the 200 block of Central Avenue involving someone with a gun. A detective unit, which was already in the area, responded. As detectives approached, they saw a male who fit the description of the person said to be armed with a gun. That person and two other people ran away in different directions. The male police believed to have the gun ran to the rear of the school. Three detectives pursued him and one of the detectives shot the man. A large hunting knife was found at the scene; no gun had been found as of 7 p.m. Basile, when asked, said he did not have the medical condition of the man who was shot, or know his age. His identity was not released. City police detectives do not yet wear body cameras but the school likely has video surveillance cameras, he said. Basile said detectives took "appropriate action" in pursuing the suspect but stopped short of commenting on the specifics of the shooting. When asked if police believe the knife had been on the person who was shot, Basile said, "We believe it was." The three detectives also were taken to the hospital, which is department protocol anytime a service weapon is discharged. The school building — West Hill Middle School — also is used for the Tony Clement Center for Education, which is Albany City School District's alternative-education program. Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call Albany police at 518-462-8039.