Justice for Ramarley Graham
NYPD police followed 18-year-old Ramarley Graham to his grandmother's Bronx apartment, broke down the door, entered, and shot him dead. Graham was unarmed.
The attorney for Graham's mother, Jeffrey Emdin, said officers broke down the door illegally, entered the home illegally and used illegal force. They had no warrant.
The killing has sparked street protests and candlelight vigils in Graham's low-income, minority neighborhood, and the incident is being linked to a NYPD tactic called "stop-and-frisk," which targets such areas. With 85% of its search subjects from Latino and Black minorities last year, the program is a clear example of racial profiling.
The public has every right to question if this shooting is a product of NYPD's "hyper-aggressive stop-and-frisk program." The officer who did the shooting must face the proper penalties; further, this policy of racial/ethnic profiling, called "stop-and-frisk" must end at once.
Demand Justice for Ramarley Graham!
We, the undersigned, demand justice for Ramarley Graham and his family. And we are concerned to learn the officer who did the shooting remains on the force.
As Donna Lieberman told news sources, this incident appears to be more than just "collateral damage of big-city policing." We agree with her and others that this killing is likely linked to NYPD police tactics that promote racial profiling and violence against minorities and low-income residents.
We want to express our deepest sympathy to Ramarley's family and other loved ones, and we request that his shooting be fully and properly investigated.
We ask not only that the officer who did the shooting face the proper penalties, but that this policy of racial/ethic profiling, called "stop-and-frisk" end at once.
Thank you for your serious attention to these requests.
