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Grand Jury Fails to Indict Off-Duty NYPD Detective in Shooting: Community to Protest Today

13:11 H | Topics: Activism - Justice - New York City

Last October, in what has been described as an act of road rage, off-duty NYC detective Sean Sawyer shot and killed Jayson Tirado, an unarmed motorist.

Last week, a grand jury , did not indict Sawyer, even though, according to the saying, if it really is in the political will, a grand jury can indict a ham sandwich. Despite the fact that Sawyer fled the scene of the shooting and did not report it, the fact that he was a police officer allowed him to operate under a different set of laws.

It was a justifiable shooting under unfortunate circumstances,” he added.
The district attorney, Robert M. Morgenthau, said Officer Sawyer, 35, could not be charged with leaving the scene of the shooting and failing to immediately report it because, unlike leaving the scene of a car accident, what he did was not a crime.
“I’m sure that most people would be shocked to learn that it is not a crime for a police officer to leave the scene of a shooting without reporting it as soon as practicable,” Mr. Morgenthau said in a news release. “I share their outrage. But, that is the law. As a result of this case, we will be submitting legislation to change that.”

Whenever an unarmed civilian has been killed by a police officer, off duty or not, there have been attempts at changing legislation but that doesn't change the very nature of the policing system.

For this reason, today, The Justice Committee of NYC, with the fiancé, daughter, family and friends of Jayson Tirado, will hold a march and rally to protest the grand jury's failure to indict.

Organized by the Justice Committee and the family and friends of Jayson Tirado

Related

• One Month Since Sean Bell Police Shooting Acquittal : The Community Doesn't Stop (Thursday, May 22 2008)
• Putting Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Week Long Boycott for Sean Bell (Monday, May 19 2008)