Lawmakers, Teen's Family Demand Justice For 2012 Fatal Police Shooting Of Ramarley Graham
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Elected officials and civil rights groups joined the family of a Bronx teen fatally shot in his own home by a police officer to demand a formal U.S. Justice Department investigation into the killing.
As WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported, supporters turned out in front of the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan to call for an investigation into the Feb. 2012 shooting of Ramarley Graham.
Lawmakers, Teen's Family Demand Justice For 2012 Fatal Police Shooting Of Ramarley Graham
The 18-year-old was followed home and shot dead with his grandmother and 6-year-old brother in the apartment. Officer Richard Haste thought Graham was disposing of drugs and thought he had a gun, Cornell reported.
Haste was originally indicted on manslaughter charges but a judge dropped the case, citing a mistake prosecutors made in presenting the charges. A second grand jury decided in August not to re-indict Haste.
The matter is still a cause of unresolved outrage in his community and repeated calls for federal intervention, Cornell reported.
"If the DOJ does not come in here and investigate and deliver justice, you are giving carte blanche to anyone, anywhere to kill any black child and not even have to excuse why it's done. Just kick open a door and shoot 'em dead and say my bad and go back to work," New York City Councilman Jumaane Williams said. "It boggles my mind that we have gotten no justice on Ramarley Graham. I've repeatedly said this is the case that we're supposed to win."
The justice department has said it is reviewing the case.
Graham would have turned 21 on April 12.
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