UPDATE: 3:00 PM EST
The family of Kimani Gray said they would speak out Thursday about the case after a candlelight vigil resulted in almost 50 arrests.
A spokesman for Gray’s parents had said previously that they would not speak publicly as long as there was violence, which he said has “clouded their message.”
This story is developing.
SOURCE: NewsOne
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For the third straight day, protestors in Brooklyn gathered to call action to the New York Police Department in the shooting death of 16-year-old Kimani Gray.
PHOTOS: Not A Riot! Peaceful 2nd Vigil Held For Slain Teen, Kimani Gray, In Brooklyn
New reports detail the teen’s fatal wounds and show that NYPD shot Kimani seven times, three of those shots to the back.
One bullet entered his left shoulder in the rear, exiting in the front; two other bullets struck the back of his thighs, one in the left thigh and one in the right. Two bullets struck from the front, hitting his right thigh; one bullet entered his left side, striking his lower rib cage; and the last bullet hit his left lower forearm.
But it didn’t take the medical examiner’s report to hit a chord with residents in Brooklyn, who are already skeptical about the officers’ account of what happened.
During last night’s protest, more than 100 demonstrators held candles to remember the teen, but the scene quickly turned ugly as the crowd, overcome with emotion, started heckling police.
Sources say that over 50 individuals were arrested and a NYPD officer suffered a gash to the face after he was hit with an object tossed from a building. The crowd reportedly chanted “NYPD, KKK, how many kids did you kill today” as they marched towards the 67th Precinct stationhouse.
Eventually, some protesters tried to climb on police motorcycles. Men and women were pepper-sprayed and thrown to the ground and handcuffed.
DETAILS: Police Brutality?! Undercover Cops Kill 16-Year-Old After Shooting Him 11 Times
The vigil’s organizers tried and failed to calm the young people.
“I’m not going to tell people don’t be angry because we’re all angry,” said Franclot Graham, whose teenage son, Ramarley Graham, was shot and killed after police chased him into his Bronx home last year. A New York police officer has been charged with manslaughter in the death. “It’s OK to vent but you have to respect the family’s wishes and be peaceful,” he said.
It is unclear whether the NYPD will call for an in-depth investigation into Kimani’s death. According to Gothamist, the police department feels justified in the shooting, even with the medical examiner’s report revealing that the teen was shot three times in the back.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly has previously emphasized, “We have three [civilian] witnesses, two of which said that one of the officers shouted ‘Don’t move’ and ‘Freeze.’ Two witnesses also said they heard officers say, ‘What do you have in your hands?'” But at least one witness has come forward now to say that cops did not seem justified in the shooting. Tishana King said that she witnessed the confrontation from her third-story window in a neighboring building, and she tells the tabloid, “I’m certain he didn’t have anything in his hands.”
We must continue to march peacefully for justice to be done. Our thoughts and prayers to Kimani’s family.
SOURCE: The Intelligencer | NY Daily News | Gothamist
