NEW YORK (AP)—A white police officer who shot an unarmed, black teenager in the bathroom of his New York City apartment is expected to offer his first public account of the slaying on Friday at his department disciplinary trial.
Officer Richard Haste initially faced a criminal manslaughter charge in the 2012 death of 18-year-old Ramarley Graham, which became another flashpoint for outrage over police use of deadly force against black men.
But the criminal case was dismissed because of a procedural error and a new grand jury declined to indict. Federal prosecutors also declined to bring charges, saying there was no evidence to refute Haste’s claim that he shot the teen because he mistakenly believed he was reaching for a gun.
The New York Police Department began public hearings before an administrative judge Monday to help determine whether Haste should be fired, or face some lesser punishment, for the killing. Haste’s lawyers said he will testify Friday.
The shooting stemmed from an investigation of drug dealing in Graham’s Bronx neighborhood.
