Griffith on death of Carenage teen: Whose bullet was it?

Police Commissioner Gary Griffith said while the death of 14-year-old Naomi Nelson was saddening, it was still unclear whether she was killed by a bullet from the gun of a police officer or from the gun of a criminal.

Speaking with Newsday Griffith said while an autopsy at the Forensic Science on Tuesday confirmed she was shot from behind, it was still unknown whose gun the bullet came from.

"Up to now we do not know if the same bullet that hit the young lady came from the same criminal that fired at the police officer. That's what people are not understanding, the same indiscriminate manner that the gang member fired at my police officer and hit him in his chest, who is to say that wasn't the gun that was used the shoot the girl?''

Griffith also said residents were being selective in which shootings they witnessed and said the officer involved defended himself after being shot by a suspect.

"Before people jump to conclusions, what everyone is leaving out of this whole matter is one main fact and that is a bullet hit the chest of my police officer and he was saved by his bullet proof vest. Everytime a police officer shoots someone, everyone sees it but when one young man kills another in any community no one ever sees it."