Delrawn Small shooting: Off-duty NYPD officer charged for killing unarmed black man during road rage encounter

Footage released after shooting disputes police account of events

A picture on the memorial for Delrawn Small, who was shot dead by an off-duty NYPD officer on 4 July (Rex)

The police officer who shot and killed an unarmed man while he was off duty has been charged with second degree murder.

Officer Wayne Isaacs killed Delrawn Small while he was in plain clothes and on his way home in an unmarked vehicle on 4 July.

Mr Small's girlfriend, Zaquanna Albert, told police Mr Small grew angry because he thought Mr Isaacs had cut him off. He then got out of his car at a traffic light to confront the officer.

People gather to protest against the death of Delrawn Small (Getty)

Police initially said they believed the officer shot Mr Small twice after he reached through the open window on the driver's side to punch the officer.

However, a short black and white video showed Mr Isaacs opening fire as soon as Mr Small approached the car, without clear indication of whether the officer was assaulted.

The video, obtained by the New York Post, shows Mr Small, 37, recoiling from the officer and stumbling away before collapsing. Mr Isaacs steps out of his car and looks towards Mr Small, but then returns to his vehicle.

Mr Isaacs, 37, was stripped of his badge and gun and put on "modified duty" while the footage was investigated by the NYPD and the state Attorney General's Office.

At the time, Mr Small’s brother, Victor Dempsey, said: “His wife was in the car with him. His two kids were there. They were going to see fireworks up by whatever park is in the neighborhood.”

“It has to stop,” he added. “It’s not right that they just get a gun and a badge and they can do what they want to do.”

Mr Isaacs is expected to appear in court in Brooklyn on Tuesday to face charges of murder and manslaughter.