Ramarley Graham, 18 years old, shot and killed by the NYPD inside his home on February 3rd, 2012.
[Police Commissioner] Mr. Kellyrepeatedly sought to solace Mr. Graham’s mother and grandmother. “Any mother, any parent is going to be terribly affected,” he said. “It is the worst thing that can happen to a parent, is to lose a child, and we certainly sympathize with the family.”
Sure. Any parent is going to be terribly affected. We certainly sympathize with the family. Well, he's done his duty, that should make them feel better. I heard Ray Kelly speak these words on the radio, the day after the shooting. I wish I could find the audio of Kelly tripping over his tongue and struggling to get something meaningful to say out of his mouth but it's no longer available. That was the last time Kelly said anything publicly about the shooting. Since then the incriminating video has been released, but he has not uttered a single word. Of course, the investigation is underway.
Oh, officers also went to meet with the community and offered further solace.
Officers went to meet with the community. “They just reminded us this was an ongoing investigation,” said NY Assemblyman Carl Heastie.
The Graham family has retained legal counsel and has joined with Rev. Al Sharpton who is collecting funds for the boy's funeral costs.
“Let’s have all the facts and evidence come out until we reach any conclusions,” said Jeffrey Emdin, attorney for the Graham family.
Officers were said to be acting on reports he had a gun, but a gun was never recovered.
Saturday, Graham’s family joined Reverend Al Sharpton at his National Action Network headquarters. They let their attorney speak for them.
“They can’t believe this happened. We love him. We miss him,” said Emdin.
Contradictions already abound between the police version of the story and witnesses at the scene. He gave chase, he walked into his apartment. There was gun, there was no gun recovered. The cops got permission to enter, they broke down the door. There was a struggle, there was no struggle. What cannot be disputed is the
video of the police breaking into the apartment without a warrant, and apparently the community is accustomed to this sort of treatment. The Bronx district attorney is expected to bring this case to a grand jury to determine if criminal charges should be filed. A spokesman for the Black Law Enforcement Alliance is requesting federal involvement.
Police say they ordered the teen to stop but that he went into his house on 229th Street.
When officers couldn't get into the front door of the home, they entered from the back.
Police say they were given the okay to enter, but lawyers for the family say that's not true.
“When the police do not even think to get a search warrant because they don't think that they need to get a search warrant, when the police are above the law, nobody is safe,” said Jeffrey Emdin, the Graham family lawyer.
Police say they proceeded to his family's second floor apartment and knocked on the door.
“When they got no response, they broke open the door,” said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
Once police were inside, they say the teen ran into the bathroom.
According to Kelly, the officer shouted, “Show me your hands! Show me your hands!” and ”Gun! Gun!”
“The partner said he then heard the shot,” said Kelly.
No gun was found.
Police say it appears the teen was dumping marijuana in the toilet.
“We are asking for the federal government, for the U.S. attorney's office of the southern district to step in and oversee this investigation,” said Graham Weatherspoon of the Black Law Enforcement Alliance.
The only thing unusual about this case for the NYPD, is Commissioner Raymond Kelly
speaking up so soon about it after the incident took place.
The commissioner’s remarks, coming less than 24 hours after the teenager, Ramarley Graham, was killed by a plainclothes narcotics officer, were a stark departure for Mr. Kelly, who rarely makes public an early assessment of a shooting.
He knows he's caught on this one. He has already said he won't resign, after calls to do so in the wake of
his involvementwith the filming of the Third Jihad movie.
Police commissioner Ray Kelly said Friday he has no plans to resign following calls for him to step down after it was revealed that nearly 1,500 officers were shown an anti-Muslim film in which the city’s top cop appears as an interviewee.