Haste; too bad his victim Ramarley can’t smile
[Black Star Editorial]
Not surprisingly a Grand Jury refused to re-indict Richard Haste, the New York Police Department (NYPD) cop who killed an innocent unarmed Black teenager in New York last year. Haste had followed Ramarley Graham into his home and shot and killed him in his bathroom last year.
The Police later claimed Haste thought Graham was armed and that he had been flushing marijuana down a toilet.
Picture the scenario. A 17 year old flushing marijuana –which was non-existent by the way– down a toilet then turns around to threaten a police officer with a non-existent gun?
This is an ugly message — that cops can shoot unarmed Black teenagers, always get the “benefit of the doubt” and walk away.
So what’s to protect innocent Black males then from murder under any circumstances? Police under Stop-and-Frisk are allowed to approach and search any Black male, in other words to presume he’s a suspect, much like Black people used to be treated in South Africa under apartheid. Haste followed Graham for the same reason that George Zimmerman followed Trayvon Martin; both presumed the Black teens were suspects.
Judge Steven Barrett paved the way for this sham and mockery when he dismissed the original indictment against Richard Haste in May, citing technical error in the Bronx DA’s instructions to the Grand Jury; but actually making it easier for a Grand Jury to refuse to re-indict and simply dump the case.
At least in Sanford, Florida, there was a show trial of George Zimmerman, who followed unarmed Trayvon Martin and shot him dead. In New York City we don’t even going through that procedure. Maybe that’s what’s at stake here: why bother with the expense of a trial when the Grand Jury knows the desired outcome.
It’s inconceivable that Haste, who followed Graham into his home by kicking in the door, without a warrant –since Black youth are not entitled to any constitutional rights — will now return to the force with this type of reckless disregard that resulted in the killing of an innocent Black teen.
Graham’s mother, Constance Malcolm, posted remarks that show her pain on her Facebook page:
“I was just informed that ‘Murderer’ Richard Haste will NOT BE RE-INDICTED. I cannot believe the system is allowing Richard Haste who KILLED MY SON in the bathroom of his own home to go home to his family and able to look into their faces and smile. The justice system is making the same mistake again. I am in a state of shock that with all the evidence put in front of the Grand Jury, they had the nerve to let my sons killer off scotch free,” she writes.
“However, I am not surprise of their actions because as dating back to almost 20 years ago they (COPS) were murdering our BLACK AND LATINO families and getting away with it. How can we protect our kids when they have to not only watch out for others of their peers wanting to hurt them but to also watch out for police officers who can cold bloodily kill them without any impunity,” Malcolm adds.
“However, I can assure you that this will not end like any other. I will not go away and fold my arms while my sons is asking that i get justice for the injustice that was done to him. I being a person from the Island always see crimes happening around me but I never thought that one day I will have to endure the hurt and pain of loosing my son to not only another civilian but by someone that was sworn in by the law to protect and serve. REALLY??? Who are they here to Protect and Serve?” she continues.
The Facebook posting concludes: “As I mentioned in a previous email, that I will take it to the highest. I will make sure Richard Haste pays for his crime. I will be gathering at the DA’s Office at 198 East 161st Street, Bronx, NY tomorrow at 1:00pm sharp to announce my disgust and outrage of not only the system but the people behind the system.
Everybody, from mayor Bloomberg who’s fighting the Inspector General oversight to Ray Kelly who keeps his cops skeletons in his closet to Pat Lynch who’s the DEVIL behind his Blue Wall Code of Silence to Stuart London who defends COPS WHO MURDERS INNOCENT PEOPLE OF COLOR to walk free and finally JUSTICE Stephen Barrett who sits on the bench behind a motto that says ‘In God We Trust’ but instead trust his comrades. When will our innocent kids gets justice?”
NYPD officers are empowered by Mayor Bloomberg’s and Police Commissioner Kelly’s Stop-and-Frisk regime to approach any Black male, without even any reasonable suspicion judging by the numbers — hundreds of thousands stopped with nine out of 10 having no infraction– and that’s how incidents such as the killing of Graham happens.
The killing of innocent unarmed Black males by Police officers who then routinely walk free can’t continue without consequences.
