Rally marks 1 year since shooting of Crown Heights man by police

Police say Saheed Vassell was pointing a metal pipe, prompting multiple 911 calls.

News 12 Staff

Apr 3, 2019, 10:13 PM

Updated 2,093 days ago

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Rally marks 1 year since shooting of Crown Heights man by police
Family members, elected officials and local leaders gathered in front of City Hall Wednesday to mark the 1-year anniversary of the shooting death of a Crown Heights man by police.
Police say Saheed Vasselll, a mentally ill man, was brandishing a metal pipe like a gun, prompting multiple 911 calls. When officers arrived, investigators say he aimed the object at them, and they shot and killed him.
Vassell's father says he wasn't holding the object up at the time he was shot. He says there's more police could have done without ending his son's life.
"We are demanding that Mayor de Blasio take a deeper look into the report and see where there are flaws because if Letitia James does not see that there are flaws maybe Mayor de Blasio will see the flaws and put those police on modified duty," says Eric Vassell.
Just last week the state attorney general's office released a report on the incident. The Special Investigations and Prosecutions Unit found the officers' actions were legally justified and that there was not adequate evidence to warrant criminal prosecution against the officers involved.
The attorney general did, however, recommend that 911 operators and police dispatchers receive comprehensive training. In addition, the NYPD should review and reform its public information policies and practices regarding what facts should be released to the public.
In response, Detective Sophia Mason tells News 12 the NYPD is developing plans to enhance training and is developing a clear policy on the release of public information.
Protesters say they'll be out at City Hall again Thursday and plan to march through the streets of Crown Heights.