CBS New YorkNEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — There were renewed calls for justice Thursday in the death of a Brooklyn teenager, shot and killed by NYPD officer after they said he flashed a gun.
The incident has sparked protests in the borough and subsequently dozens of arrests late Wednesday night.
Speaking from the office of City Councilman Charles Barron, Carol Gray, the mother of 16-year-old Kimani Gray, said her son was slaughtered and she wants to know why.
“Why was Kimani begging for his life? Why was Kimani saying ‘You got me, I’m down? Don’t shoot no more?’ Why was Kimani saying that if Kimani had a weapon to point at an officer?” Carol Gray asked reporters, including CBS 2′s Hazel Sanchez.
Carol Gray told reporters her son was killed in front of his best friend’s house after a birthday party.
“He’s not the public’s angel, but he’s my angel and he’s my baby and he was slaughtered and I want to know why,” Carol Gray told reporters, including 1010 WINS’ Al Jones.
Carol Gray said she was simply demanding answers for the death of her son and for the officers who shot him to be brought to justice.
“Even after first shot — one shot — why second bullet? Why third bullet? Why fourth bullet? Why?” she asked. “I don’t condone any violence, any looting, any shooting. I only want justice for two police officers to be off the street before they hurt another young kid.”
DOZENS ARRESTED OVERNIGHT IN PROTESTS
Officers in riot gear arrested 46 people during a candlelight vigil Wednesday night, the third straight day of protests against the shooting. Most were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct, police said.
Two officers were also injured. One was treated for a gash on his face after police said a brick was thrown at him.
Wednesday’s protest came after autopsy results showed Kimani Gray was shot seven times in his shoulders, arms and legs, with wounds to the front and back of his body.
People in the community have said the teen’s death highlights a larger problem of police brutality.
“The cops need to respect the people and the neighborhood and maybe the people wouldn’t be so angry,” said Flatbush resident Aaron Viera. “The community is angry and the community is voicing their opinion right now and the cops need to understand they just can’t react any way they want to with a gun.”
KIMANI GRAY SHOT DEAD ON SATURDAY
He was shot by two plainclothes cops Saturday night after police said he pulled a .38 caliber gun on the officers. Carol Gray said she doesn’t believe her son pointed a gun at police.
Police said the officers from the Brooklyn South Anti-Crime Patrol were walking East Flatbush when they came upon a group of young men standing in front of a home on East 52nd Street.
When the officers approached and started to talk to the group, Gray began acting suspiciously and ran from the officers, police said.
Police said at one point, Gray grabbed for something in his waistband. Gray then pulled out a gun and pointed it at the officers, according to police.
When the plainclothes officers saw the gun, they both fired. Gray was pronounced dead at Kings County Hospital a short time later, police said.
A gun was recovered at the scene, but Gray’s family maintains the teen wasn’t armed.
“After he got the first shot on the ground, he was like ‘Please don’t kill me, don’t let me die’ and then I heard the police went over and started shooting,” said Gray’s cousin, who did not give his name.
MAYOR ADDRESSES THE SHOOTING
On Thursday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said it’s sad for the family and that he understands the anger in the East Flatbush community, but said he won’t tolerate violent outbreaks, 1010 WINS’ Stan Brooks reported.
“You can rest assured we will take adequate precautions to protect the public and I am not at liberty to discuss what those will be — they’ll be different every day,” Bloomberg said. “Some you’ll see, some you won’t. That’s what we do all the time. We have the best trained police department in the country.”
Bloomberg said he has not gone to the shooting scene because he does not want to inflame the situation, Brooks reported. The mayor also said he believes it is too soon to visit the teen’s family.
Bloomberg said he promises a thorough investigation. A weapon recovered after the shooting was originally purchased in Florida, Bloomberg added.
VIOLENCE AMID VIGIL ON MONDAY
On Monday, a mob broke away from a candlelight vigil and stormed a produce stand, trashing registers and throwing bottles at the cashier, police said. They then ransacked a Rite Aid and attacked a customer, police said.
WATCH: Raw Video Of Wednesday’s Protest
Gray’s parents have condemned the recent protests, saying the violence “clouded their message,” a family spokesman said.
“It’s a tough time for the community,” said the family’s spokesman, Rev. Gilford Monrose. “But the family and myself do not condone the violence.”
The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative duty pending an investigation, which is standard practice.
Another vigil is planned for Saturday, which would mark a week since Kimani Gray was killed.
“Bloomberg said, ‘…That’s what we do all the time. We have the best trained police department in the country.’ ” Typical, delusional, Bloomberg and his “Army.”
Best trained in the murder of innocent civilians must be what he meant.