Pubdate: Sat, 31 Jan 2015
Source: New York Times (NY)
Copyright: 2015 The New York Times Company
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Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/298
Author: Ashley Southall

NEW YORK TO PAY $3.9 MILLION TO END SUIT OVER POLICE KILLING OF TEENAGER

The family of a Bronx teenager who was fatally shot by a police 
officer who had barged into his apartment after suspecting him of 
taking part in a drug deal has agreed to settle a wrongful-death 
lawsuit against the city for $3.9 million.

The agreement to settle the case, reported Friday by The Daily News, 
comes nearly three years after the Feb. 2, 2012, shooting of the 
teenager, Ramarley Graham.

"This was a tragic case," said Nicholas Paolucci, a spokesman for New 
York City's Law Department. "After evaluating all the facts, and 
consulting with key stakeholders such as the N.Y.P.D., it was 
determined that settling the matter was in the best interest of the city."

Mr. Graham's family did not comment on Friday. Their lawyer, Royce 
Russell, said that relatives would hold a news conference on Monday 
and release details then about a memorial service. Stuart London, a 
lawyer for Richard Haste, the police officer who shot Mr. Graham, did 
not return emails and phone calls seeking comment on Friday evening.

Officer Haste shot Mr. Graham, 18, in the bathroom of Mr. Graham's 
family's home in the Wakefield section after chasing him inside from 
the street.

A criminal case against Officer Haste collapsed in August 2013 when a 
Bronx grand jury chose not to indict him. An earlier case in which he 
had been indicted on manslaughter charges related to the shooting was 
dismissed by a judge on a technicality.

The office of Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the 
Southern District of New York, is investigating whether the officers 
involved in the shooting violated Mr. Graham's civil rights. The 
shooting stirred racially tinged anger among relatives and supporters 
of Mr. Graham, who was black. Officer Haste is white.

The shooting also prompted accusations that the police were engaged 
in racial profiling, as well as criticism of the tactics that led 
Officer Haste to pursue the teenager and force his way into the 
apartment after finding the door locked. Raymond W. Kelly, the police 
commissioner at the time, ordered a review of the department's street 
narcotics enforcement units, whose officers are responsible for 
arresting low-level drug dealers and their customers after observing a sale.

Mr. Graham's family sued the city in February 2013, seeking 
compensation for emotional damages and for their treatment by the 
police, who detained relatives after the shooting.

During grand jury proceedings, Officer Haste testified that a radio 
transmission had led him to believe that Mr. Graham was armed. He 
said that he shot the teenager, who was unarmed, after seeing him 
reach toward his waistband. Mr. Graham had ignored repeated orders to 
show his hands, Mr. London said in August 2013, after the grand jury 
decided not to bring charges.

Although Mr. Haste will not face criminal charges, he must still 
contend with the federal investigation and a disciplinary review by 
the Police Department.

A bag of marijuana was later found in the toilet in Mr. Graham's 
apartment, and investigators think his final act was attempting to 
flush it. No gun was found.

Joseph Goldstein contributed reporting.
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