New York, NY –The New York City Council Progressive Caucus is urging the de Blasio administration to take action against the remaining officers involved in the killing of Ramarley Graham, in a newly released letter sent earlier this week to the mayor and police commissioner.
“We request immediate action from your administration to hold the remaining officers responsible for Ramarley Graham’s killing and its related misconduct accountable in a transparent manner,” the Progressive Caucus letter states. “NYPD trial dates should be scheduled for the two other officers charged (Sergeant Scott Morris and Officer John McLoughlin), who were charged by the department in the same year (2012) that Graham was killed. We urge you to publicly release the departmental charges that these officers face, along with start dates for their trials, without any further wavering.”
The letter can be accessed here.
The Caucus also expressed disappointment in the handling of the disciplinary process related to Graham’s killing, including the department’s allowing Richard Haste to resign rather than be terminated.
“It is disgraceful that after more than five years since killing Ramarley and subsequently accruing pay raises and overtime, Richard Haste was not immediately suspended when Deputy Commissioner Maldonado’s draft report was provided to the department,” the letter asserts. “The NYPD’s failure to take swift action against Haste allowed him to resign. It was a failure of accountability and must not be repeated for the several other officers involved in Graham’s killing.”
The letter also urged the NYPD to comply with state Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) by releasing information requested by Graham’s family via FOIL. The NYPD’s withholding of information in response to the FOIL has forced the family to file a lawsuit to access information about Graham’s killing.
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