Vigil for Teen Killed by Police Turns Violent in East Flatbush

We know it’s not directly in the neighborhood, but we also know many of you noticed an increase in police sirens and helicopters flying overhead last night, so it’s worth noting that a vigil last night for Kimani Gray, a 16-year-old who was shot and killed by plainclothes police officers on Saturday night, turned violent as a group of protesters headed toward the 67th Precinct house.

There was some damage, at least one injury and one arrest, and a lot of anger from youth in the community. Councilmember Jumaane Williams, whose district covers parts of our area and much of East Flatbush, was on the scene last night, and today is focused on diffusing the anger in the long term.

“This action, which some are calling an uprising, was not about the details of one shooting; it spoke to the overwhelming frustration that people are living through day after day,” he said in a release, calling on Mayor Bloomberg and Commissioner Kelly to address the lack of positive outlets for young people in the area. “We cannot turn our anger against our neighbors. We must channel it constructively and send a clear message to City Hall and One Police Plaza that change must come. Without it, I fear this will be a long and bloody summer ahead. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., ‘a riot is the language of the unheard.'”

Photo by Stephen Nessen