Eighteen-year-old unarmed Ramarley Graham was shot and killed in front of his grandmother and younger brother. Five years later Graham’s mother, Constance Malcolm, is doing everything in her power to get justice for her son.
Police officers chased Graham into his home without a warrant and violated protocol repeatedly. Fast-forward to April 12, 2017—on this day Graham would have turned 24.
Malcolm announced that she is suing New York City for unreleased documents related to the killing of her son. Councilman Andy King; Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner; Gideon Oliver, civil rights attorney and former president of National Lawyers Guild NYC Chapter; Communities United for Police Reform; and others stood by Malcolm’s side on the steps of New York City’s City Hall as she addressed the media on the unjust killing of her son.
Officer Richard Haste was charged with manslaughter. However, these charges were later dropped on a technicality. Haste recently resigned from the New York City Police Department.
Multiple officers were involved in the incident. Officer John McLoughlin forcibly entered the home where the incident occurred. Sergeant Scott Morris, the highest ranking officer at the time, allowed the unlawful entering of the family home to occur, according to Communities United for Police Reform.
Graham’s family sent multiple letters to City Hall asking for information in relation to Graham’s death and have yet to receive a response, forcing the family to file an extensive Freedom of Information Law request to access information that could potentially illuminate misconduct.
Malcolm wants nothing more than justice for her son.
“I am here fighting for justice for my son. It’s going on five years. My son was killed February 2, and I’ve been asking to meet with the mayor, I’ve been asking to meet with the commissioner, and it’s like going on deaf ears, it’s like my son’s life didn’t matter, and he didn’t do anything wrong,” Malcolm said.
“We were filing a lawsuit to challenge Freedom of Information Law request that we filed in September. Unless they disclose the records that we’re seeking, we’re going to get the court to order and disclose them,” Oliver stated.
Malcolm is not only fighting for her son but also fighting for his younger brother, and the other young men of the community.
She is asking everyone to think very critically when it comes to the upcoming mayoral election, not only for the sake of themselves but also for sake of their community.
“I am telling people to be smart,” Malcolm stated at the news conference Wednesday.