New York, NY – Just two days before Mother’s Day, seven moms of New Yorkers killed by the NYPD over the past two decades demanded that the U.S. Department of Justice conduct a full investigation and convene a grand jury to hear federal civil rights charges against the NYPD officers responsible for the death of Ramarley Graham. The group of mothers and their supporters also called on the newly appointed NYPD inspector general to investigate the troubling pattern of civilian deaths caused by police violence over the past several decades and the appropriateness of NYPD disciplinary actions resulting from them.
“Another Mother’s Day without my child telling me “Happy Mother’s Day’ and ‘I love you,’” said Constance Malcolm, the mother of Ramarley Graham. “This is why the DOJ must investigate the killing of my son, Ramarley Graham. There have been too many deaths without answers, and without accountability. So far our criminal justice system has failed us all. For Mother’s Day, I ask that the DOJ do what’s right and give me the gift of opening a full investigation into the killing of my son.
“I also call on the new Inspector General to investigate the pattern of these incidents that have resulted in the deaths of our children, and the action taken to discipline these officers,”continued Malcolm. “The majority of the mothers standing here today, including myself, have not seen the officers responsible for killing our children held accountable in any way.”
Graham, an 18-year-old Bronx resident, was shot and killed by NYPD Officer Richard Haste in the bathroom of his family’s home in front of his grandmother and 6-year-old brother after Haste unlawfully busted into the house in February 2012. After the Office of the Bronx District Attorney failed to indict, the U.S. Department of Justice indicated it was reviewing the case. After nearly a year, there have been no charges brought and no indications that it has even opened a full investigation.
“Too many mothers will be without their children this Mother’s Day because of the senseless police killings that happen too often in our communities,” said Kadiatou Diallo, the mother of Amadou Diallo who was unarmed and fired upon 41 times and killed by NYPD officers in 1999. “Today I stand with Constance to demand justice for Ramarley Graham and all families that have lost their children at the hands of the NYPD. We demand the DOJ open a full investigate into this case.”
Valerie Bell, the mother of Sean Bell – who was fired upon and killed by NYPD officers in 2006 the night before his wedding day– said, “Every struggle has a purpose. We are all here to give Constance support for the justice she is seeking for her son. As a mother I can relate to what she is going through.”
City and state legislators recently wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder requesting that the Justice Department take action to bring about justice in the killing of Ramarley Graham.
“Mother’s Day is a time most mothers celebrate with their children – whether young or old, ”said Council Member Andy King, co-chair of the City Council Black, Latino and Asian Caucus (BLAC). “But for these mothers, Mother’s Day is a sad reminder of the tragic loss of their son who was killed by police It’s an injustice for a police officer to shoot an unarmed civilian. So, I am united with the mothers here today in calling on the Department of Justice to investigate the shooting death of Ramarley Graham by NYPD Police Officer Richard Haste.”
“Constance has shown great resilience and fortitude in the face of this horrible tragedy and abject injustice,”said Council Member Jumaane D. Williams (D-Brooklyn), Deputy Leader and Co-Chair of the Task Force to Combat Gun Violence. “If the federal government wants to prove that black and brown men’s lives are meaningful, then the DOJ must do a full investigation.”
Civil rights advocacy organizations had joined legislators in their call for justice for Ramarley Graham from the Department of Justice. National civil rights organization ColorofChange launched a nationwide campaign demanding that DOJ conduct a thorough investigation and bring charges against NYPD officer Richard Haste, who shot and killed Graham.
“A parent should never have to bury a child, especially as a result of the types of brutal policing tactics we’ve seen deployed by the NYPD for more than a decade,” said Executive Director of ColorOfChange.org Rashad Robinson. “The DOJ has a special duty to protect our community against racial profiling and deadly police violence, especially when local or state prosecutors fail to do so. As Mother’s Day approaches, we’re reigniting our call for the DOJ to fully and thoroughly investigate the killing of Ramarley Graham and bring closure to his family, community and supporters in the Bronx and across the country.”
“No mother – or grandmother – should ever be in this nightmare of a situation,” said New York Civil Liberties Union Executive Director Donna Lieberman. “And yet in the more than two years since Ramarley Graham was killed, New York has failed to provide any meaningful accountability. No one has provided any answers to explain how this tragedy occurred, or to prescribe remedies to ensure that no family ever has to suffer again in the way that the Graham family has. If New York City and New York State refuse to investigate, then that means it’s time for the Department of Justice to do so.”
Dozens of unjust police killings of New Yorkers have occurred at the hands of the NYPD over the past several decades, but prosecutions of these injustices have been inconsistent and disciplinary actions taken by the department against officers have also been inadequate. The NYPD has frequently failed to adequately discipline officers who use excessive and deadly force, and in several cases city government officials have questionably released information intended to discredit and smear the victims. Nearly every borough in the city has experienced these tragedies.
“We need a full, real investigation, not a Mickey Mouse review,” said Iris Baez, the mother of Anthony Ramon Baez who was killed by a NYPD officer in 1994. “These are real lives that are taken. Ramarley Graham should not have been killed. Our families should not have to fight so hard to have the killings of our children investigated.”
Loyda Colon, co-director of the Justice Committee said: “As we approach Mother’s Day, we ask the U.S. Department of Justice to make a choice – fail to provide equal justice, or send a message to the nation that the lives of young people of color are valued by opening a formal investigation into the killing of Ramarley Graham and convening a grand jury. We also ask that the new Inspector General of the NYPD investigate NYPD use of deadly force, which has caused so many mothers to lose their sons and daughters.”
In 2013, Kimani Gray was shot and killed by the NYPD in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, sparking community outrage and protests. Gray’s family has called for an independent investigation into Gray’s killing.
Ramarley Graham would have turned 21 on April 12, 2014.
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With more than 900,000 members, ColorOfChange.org is the nation’s largest online civil rights organization