According to the Daily News, Rivera caught up to Malcolm on a stairway landing and the two grappled over the officer's 9mm pistol. It was during the struggle, Rivera said, that the gun went off. Others say Malcolm tripped and fell. What is known is that a single shot was fired, at close range, hitting Malcolm dead-on in the left temple. He died on that landing.
Police say the killing was accidental.
I don't know if I believe that. Then again, I don't have all of the facts. I do know that he was unarmed. And while police say they found packets of heroin tucked into his crotch, Malcolm was not a suspect when he was shot. I believe Malcolm was an easy target because of how he looks and where he lived.