Following a march from the Bronx D.A.s office to the Harlem State Office Building the supporters of the family of Ramarley Graham gathered to speak out on the failure to indict NYPD officer Richard Haste for the murder of Ramarley Graham.  His father, Franclot Graham lays out the families suffering and their demand for justice.

NY1 - A Bronx judge has thrown out the indictment on manslaughter charges filed against the officer accused in the shooting death of Ramarley Graham, saying the grand jury was accidentally misled by the district attorney's office. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the following report.

Constance Malcolm, the mother of Ramarley Graham, couldn't hide her feelings when Judge Stephen Barrett threw out the manslaughter indictment against police officer Richard Haste.

"You killed my God damn child, you son of a bitch," Malcolm yelled in the courtroom.

Haste shot and killed the unarmed teen last year. He said he thought Graham had a gun.

Judge Barrett said Bronx prosecutors made a major mistake in the grand jury process.

"I believe that inadvertently, the district attorney's instructions did mislead the jury," the judge said.

Officer Haste has said he chased Graham into the teen's home because other officers put over the police radio that the teen had a gun. Haste shot and killed Graham in the bathroom, but no gun was found.

Judge Barrett ruled that the grand jury should have been able to consider what other officers reported.

"In effect, the grand jury was told, by both commission and omission, that the communications of other officers to officer Haste were not relevant," Judge Barrett said. "That's my conclusion in reading this instruction, and that is error."

Outside court, supporters of Graham's family were outraged.

"We will continue to fight wherever this fight leads," said Franclot Graham, Ramarley Graham's father. "If we have to go to the Justice Department, then that's where we'll go."

"The people of Bronx County and the citizens of America will not go away, will not cease and desist against police violence, excessive force, against, obviously, murder," said Attorney Royce Russell.

Inside the courtroom, Haste didn't say a word, but his union said the judge made the right decision.

"No police officer ever wants to draw their weapon and be in this situation, so it's a difficult time for everyone," said Pat Lynch, president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association.

Everyone involved in the case knows it's likely to continue. Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson said his office will decide if it will appeal the judge's ruling or present the case to another grand jury.

Following the decision, the Rev. Al Sharpton released a statement, saying, "This is an outrageous miscarriage of justice and an insult to the family and supporters of Ramarley Graham. We demand that a new grand jury is convened immediately and that the case is re-presented."

Story from NY1.Com

Message From Ramarley Graham's Mother

Dear Ramarley's supporters,

I am not sure if everyone is up to date as to what happened on the last court date but we were not given the impression that a trial will start anytime soon.  A trial date was not set due to some " TECHNICALITY".  Now, there was no technicality when this murderer illegally gained access to my building, ran upstairs, and kicked off my apartment door and murdered my son. There were no technicality when they were all smirking in my backyard because they did a good job murdering Ramarley in cold blood.  There were no technicality when at his first court appearance he was greeted with applaud by his fellow comrades.

Ramarley Graham's family, along with community members, activists and supporters held the last vigil for Ramarley.   This was the 18th of weekly vigils held for Ramarley and represented his age at the time he was killed.  Months earlier Ramarley was shot and killed by NYPD officer Richard Haste in his own home.  Ramarley was unarmed.

The group marched through the neighborhood in the Bronx before descending on the 47th Precinct.  There Student Minister Abdul Hafeez Muhammad of Mosque No. 7 addressed the crowd.  

Soon after the group left the 47th Precinct and headed to a local church to hear from more speakers including, The Reverend Al Sharpton, Councilman Jumaane Williams and New York City Comptroller John Liu.  

www.Ramarleyscall.org

“I Am Ramarley – Please Support the Fight for Justice!”

LAST VIGIL

Thursday, July 19 – 5 PM

749 East 229^th Street (btw. White Plains & Barnes)

NYPD Officer Richard Haste murdered Ramarley in his own home on February 2, 2012. Haste has now been indicted by the Bronx Criminal Court.

SPREAD THE WORD!

NYPD officer Richard Haste was indicted in the killing of Ramarley Graham and is being charged with manslaughter.  Haste is to turn himself in on Wednesday morning, June 13, 2012. 

ATH considers this to be only a small step in the right direction, but far from justice.  We are seeking a conviction of officer Haste.  We also believe that other members of the NYPD need to be held accountable.  What of the officers who falsely reported over the radio to Officer Haste that Ramarley had a gun?  How can they make this kind of accusation without knowing it for sure?  What of all the officers and commanding officers who were part of this "Street Narcotics Unit" that we saw on the scene in the surveillance footage outside Ramarley's Grahams house?  Who gave the call that it was ok to kick down his door to pursue him?  Is is standard police procedure to kick in peoples doors who are thought to have a gun?  Considering they had the entire house surrounded couldn't they have asked for Ramarley Graham to come out with his hands up?  These are just some of the questions that need to be asked.  Others are responsible for Ramarley's death, not solely officer Richard Haste. 

 Jose LaSalle, an organizer of the group Stop Stop-and-Frisk informed All Things Harlem that the Graham family would like for the court house in the Bronx to be full of Brothers and Sisters who believe this system isn't designed to protect those who commit crimes against the Human Family. Richard Haste will be at the court house on Jun 13, the court house is going to be full of police officers supporting the murderer Richard Haste. For all those who can make it, we ask you to be at the Bronx Criminal Court at 8:30 Am, there is going to be a conference outside and then we are going into court house to watch Richard Haste get indicted. Lets occupy the courts.

Location:  The Bronx Criminal Division is located at 215 East 161st Street, between Sherman & Sheridan Avenues.

Public Transportation:  Directions Take the C, D or 4 train to Yankee Stadium/161st Street Station. Take the BX 6 or BX 13 to East 161st Street & Sheridan Avenue; the BX 1 to East 161st Street & Grand Concourse.

The beginning of 2012 has been marked by the NYPD's rein of terror. First, NYPD officers brutally beat 19 year old Jateik Reed then days later they forcefully broke into the Bronx home of 18 year old Ramarley Graham where they killed him in cold blood.  Activists and community members organized to rally against the inhumane and terrorist tactics that the NYPD continuously inflict on Black and Brown communities with Stop and Frisk and unwarranted surveillance and harrassment in these communities. The People want answers and demand that the NYPD are convicted of these crimes against humanity.

Videos of Rally

NYPD is Guilty - 42nd Precinct

In Front of Jateik's Building

"An Eye for an Eye"

Pack the Courthouse in support of
Jateik and his family.

Monday - Feb. 6th - 9am
Bronx Criminal Court
265 East 161st Street, Bronx, NY

Click photo for NY1, report on the incident

The NYPD is totally out of control, they act like the military in Afghanistan, Iraq, and around the world -- serial killers. "Furtive movements" is a totally subjective standard used by the police to justify their unlawful behavior. How do you justify killing a young human being for possession of drugs, an inanimate object that poses no threat to anyone?  We need community control of policing, it is the only way to address this madness.

NY1 - Family members are demanding answers after police shot an killed an 18-year-old drug suspect who was apparently unarmed.  The shooting happened around 3 p.m. in a building on 229th Street in Wakefield.  Police say officers investigating street corner drug dealing approached 18-year-old Ramarley Graham who then took off on foot.  An officer chased him into his second-floor apartment where they struggled in a bathroom.  The officer fired one shot, hitting Graham in the chest.  Police say marijuana was found in the home, but no weapon was recovered.  Speaking to reporters, Graham's mother said police went too far.  "Like a regular kid, he's like you know, just like any other kid. You know you have kids who get in trouble, simple other stuff. But he wasn't that bad, he wasn't a bad kid. Not the kind of kid who carries guns around and slings no guns, he's not that type of kid," said Graham's mother, Constance Malcolm.  This is the third time in the past week that city police officers have shot and killed a suspect.