The following statement was issued on October 19 by New York State Assembly member Michael Blake, who represents the 79th district. The assemblyman also serves as a Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee.
Andrew
Kearse’s life was taken away at the hands of law enforcement and today,
our justice system failed him once again. We must continue to fight
for justice for Andrew Kearse and his family.
My
heart goes out to Andrew’s wife Angie and their entire family as a
Grand Jury inexplicably declined charges against the officers of the
Schenectady Police Department. On video, Andrew conveyed that he was
having breathing problems, and yet, in an inhumane manner, he was denied
assistance and subsequently perished. The deliberate indifference to
his obvious medical needs shocks the conscience. These police officers
thought that because he was under arrest, he did not deserve pure
decency and civility. The list of injustices in this case are extensive.
Yet again, a District Attorney's instructions and the transcript of the
proceedings were not released. We therefore do not know what guidance
was shared or even worse, if a charge that was difficult to prove was
the only option presented for consideration.
Assembly member Michael Blake
Andrew,
Angie and their family are our constituents and moreover, they are part
of our community, one that is consistently faced with challenges simply
to survive. Angie and their children live in public housing and have
endured substandard living conditions, the most recent of which is
living without sufficient gas service in their building for weeks. Now,
her family must endure another reminder of heartbreak. Angie lost her
husband, her children lost their father and our community has lost
another Black male to unjust treatment at the hands of law enforcement.
We
refuse for today's disappointing news to be the final part of this
story. Andrew Kearse will not be another number or statistic added to a
growing list of Black men who are being ripped from our communities. We
will continue to press forward and demand #JusticeForAndrewKearse.
Source: The Office of New York State Assemblyman Michael Blake
The Backstory: Grand Jury Clears Schenectady Cop in Death of Prisoner
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