Today, the community of Crown Heights rallied together to mourn the shooting death of Saheed Vassell.
Mr. Vassell, 34 and father of one teenager was unarmed when he was shot dead by four New York City police officers on Wednesday afternoon. Police had responded to three 911 calls reporting a man who was holding a gun. The gun, it turned out was merely a metal gas pipe.
A moment of silence was held before clergy, elected officials and activists called on the NYPD to stop the attack on innocent people of color and overhaul the current system of policing. They also called on Mayor de Blasio to issue new orders and bring the NYPD into the 21st century.
Contrary to earlier reports Mr. Vassell was not homeless as his mother stressed in a speech and also asked for justice in the unjustified shooting death of her son. Friends of Mr. Vassell described him as a kind person who was suffering from bipolar disorder questioning the excessive force employed by the NYPD.
