Protesters jumped the subway turnstiles in Union Square to bring attention to what they say was a reckless reaction by the NYPD for shooting a man over doing the same thing.

Police officials shared more details about the Brownsville, Brooklyn subway station shooting during a Wednesday evening news conference. They said the violence, captured on body-worn cameras and 15 surveillance cameras at the station and on the trains, began when a man accused of fare evasion later charged at police with a knife.

New York authorities have made reducing crime on the subway and buses a top priority following a series of violent attacks, robberies and murders. A crackdown on fare evasion is part of that push. But critics have questioned how the pursuit of a minor offender escalated into the use of lethal force in a crowded space.