The police officer who shot an unarmed Ramarley Graham in New York will not face charges for the 18-year-old’s death.
More than a year after the officer barged into a private residence and shot Graham in the bathroom, the criminal case against the officer has collapsed with a grand jury’s decision to not bring charges in the case.
The shocking decision was announced on Thursday morning and prompted calls for a federal civil rights investigation and an independent prosecutor. An attorney’s office in Manhattan said it would review the evidence to determine if there were any violations.
According to the NYT:
Narcotics officers had become suspicious of Mr. Graham as he walked through the Wakefield section of the Bronx with two friends. Officer Haste, 31, pursued the teenager, forcing his way into the apartment where Mr. Graham lived with his grandmother. The officer confronted him in the bathroom and shot him, after he mistakenly interpreted a gesture as Mr. Graham reaching for a gun, according to the officer’s account to the grand jury.
But despite the grand jury’s recent decision, Haste isn’t out of the woods yet. He still faces federal inquiry and a disciplinary review in the Police Department. Graham’s family is also suing the police.
His father, Frank, spoke outside of the district attorney’s office on Thursday.
“We have to ask ourselves this question: ‘Had Ramarley been white, would this have happened? Would they have run in a white person’s home?’”
We hope the family gets the justice they deserve.
SOURCE: New York Times
