Nathaniel Levi Gaines, a 25-year-old African-American from Yonkers and a Persian Gulf War veteran who worked as a highway toll taker, was fatally shot on July 4, 1996, on the 167th Street subway station platform of the D line in the Bronx. The shooting followed an altercation with New York City Transit Police Officer Paolo Colecchia. Colecchia said a struggle occurred and that Gaines tried to seize his firearm and shove him onto the tracks, but Gaines was unarmed during the confrontation.

The case touched off wide public outcry across New York, with attention to racial tensions and the use of force by police; Colecchia, who had prior civilian complaints, was arrested, charged, and ultimately convicted of second-degree manslaughter. He received a sentence with a maximum of 5 to 15 years in prison.

Are there witnesses or family members who can add detail about what happened on the station platform that night?