Today the Department of Justice and Obama Administration failed to uphold equal justice, failed the family of Ramarley Graham, and failed the nation. US Attorney Preet Bharara’s decision not to convene a grand jury for the 2012 NYPD killing of Ramarley Graham is an outrage, is inconsistent with the facts, and shows that the federal government doesn't value black lives.
In a meeting between Graham’s parents, the Justice Committee, Communities United for Police Reform, Bharara and his staff early today we learned not only of the failures of the federal government, but also of failure and deceit on the part of the City Administration and NYPD Commissioner William Bratton.
Bratton recently told New York City Council members that US Attorney Preet Bharara's office had asked him not to move forward with bringing departmental charges against Richard Haste or any of the additional officers responsible for Grahams death. Today Bharara confirmed definitively that this was not the case. It appears that the Commissioner is so unwilling to take swift action to hold officers who unjustly kill New Yorkers accountable that he has resorted to deceiving the City Council. By not forcing Bratton to bring charges against these officers, Mayor de Blasio has been complicit in the deceit.
We are demanding in the strongest terms that Commission Bratton immediately fire all officers responsible for Graham’s death, and that Mayor de Blasio does everything within his power to make sure that he does.
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