Sunday afternoon, NYPD officers at the Sutter Ave. L train station in Brownsville opened fire against 37-year-old suspected fare-beater Derell Mickles after he allegedly ignored officer demands to stop and then approached the cops with a knife in hand. Mickles was shot, as was an officer and two bystanders, one critically, all by the NYPD. That the knife in question was then stolen from the scene only makes it more muddled. As with any shooting, there are questions that must be addressed. Many of the answers will come from the body-worn camera footage from the officers at the scene and MTA’s station video (which we hope properly recorded the situation). This is precisely the type of incident that those unblinking eyes can show what actually happened. Interim NYPD Commissioner Tom Donlon, on the job less than a week, should make transparency a hallmark of his tenure at One Police Plaza and quickly publish the body-cam video for the public to see. The same goes for the MTA. We want to reiterate that it’s worth interdicting fare beaters for the simple fact that the system needs their fares to run properly, and there are options for those who cannot afford the $2.90, including the half-price Fair Fares program. These cheats are stealing money from everyone else who lawfully pays their way. The crackdown on farebeating has to continue. Also, sometimes those stopped from turnstile jumping also have warrants or weapons, such as guns or knives and getting those weapons and the people who carry them out of the subway makes everyone safer. Reflexive cop critics say nobody should be shot over a stolen fare of $2.90. Of course not, but that misses the point. According to the police, what brought out the officers’ weapons wasn’t the jumped turnstile, but a knife being brandished by Mickles. When faced with a deadly threat to themselves and others, officers are warranted to use their guns. Here, two cops tried using their Tasers to stop Mickles, but neither device was effective. When both Tasers failed, out came the pistols. We don’t expect cops to sacrifice their lives when faced with a knife and we issue them guns to be used as needed. But what is especially tragic is that straphangers were hit by the flying bullets. NYPD Patrol Guide Procedure No. 221-0, on force guidelines, begins “the primary duty of all members of the services (MOS) is to protect human life… in all circumstances, any application or use of force must be reasonable under the circumstances.” The section includes enumerated prohibitions, the first of which notes that an officer “SHALL NOT discharge a firearm when, in the professional judgement of a reasonable member of the service, doing so will unnecessarily endanger innocent persons.” How close was Mickles to the police when he pulled out the knife? Why did both Tasers fail? These are some of questions that can be addressed by Donlon, by all accounts a serious professional. In answering, Donlon can inject some more transparency and accountability into the department in its mission to serve all New Yorkers.