In Response to Damning New Info, Kawaski Trawick’s Family Demands Firing of Killer Officers and that the NYPD Ends Involvement in Mental Health Crises

NEW YORK, NY — Friday, December 4, 2020, In response to shocking new media and video reports detailing the NYPD killing of Bronx resident Kawaski Trawick, his mother issued the following statement again demanding justice for her son.

“The horrifying new video released today makes it clear that my son did not have to die, and that NYPD Officers Brendan Thompson and Herbert Davis must immediately be fired and prevented from killing or harming any other New Yorkers,” said Ellen Trawick, mother of Kawaski Trawick. “Police have no business responding to mental health issues. It’s that simple. No parent should have to undergo this pain, and no family should have to mourn because our loved ones need support. The NYPD must immediately stop responding to health care crises and New York City must instead fully fund non-police services to protect our children and communities.”

On April 14, 2019, 32-year-old Kawaski Trawick was locked out of his apartment at Hill House in the Bronx. The fire department let him into his apartment. By the time NYPD officers Thompson and Davis arrived, Kawaski was already back in his apartment cooking. Kawaski asked the officers multiple times “Why are you in my home?” and explained, “I’m just cooking.” The officers repeatedly escalated the incident by refusing to answer Kawaski’s questions, yelled orders at him, and then tased and killed Kawaski within minutes of their arrival. The NYPD sensationalized the fact that Kawaski was holding a knife to justify shooting him, but he was holding a knife because he was cooking. Only one officer had a body-worn camera. The Bronx District Attorney’s Office announced in August 2020 that they would not seek an indictment. To the family’s knowledge, there has been no discipline of the officers by the NYPD. Kawaski was a Black queer man and reportedly a beloved member of the city’s ballroom community.

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About Communities United for Police Reform

Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) is an unprecedented campaign to end discriminatory policing practices in New York, and to build a lasting movement that promotes public safety and reduces reliance on policing. CPR runs coalitions of over 200 local, statewide and national organizations, bringing together a movement of community members, lawyers, researchers and activists to work for change. The partners in this campaign come from all 5 boroughs, from all walks of life and represent many of those most unfairly targeted by the NYPD.