Officer who fatally shot Kawaski Trawick 5 years ago won’t be disciplined, police commissioner says
NEW YORK — Two New York City police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Kawaski Trawick in his Bronx apartment five years ago will not face internal discipline, the city’s police commissioner, Edward Caban, announced Friday.
In a statement, Caban said the officers, Brendan Thompson and Herbert Davis, “acted within the law” in the lead-up to the 32-year-old’s death. He accused the city’s police board of waiting too long to file administrative charges against the officers, adding that they had not engaged in any criminal behavior.
The 2019 killing of Trawick, a Black man, by a white police officer sparked widespread outrage in New York, followed by years of frustration over what some saw as police attempts to delay the investigation into his death.
Ellen and Rickie Trawick, the victim’s parents, described the commissioner’s final determination as disgraceful. “The utter disregard they have for the memory of our son, to make this decision on the five-year anniversary of his death, is disgusting and shameful,” she added.
Trawick, an aspiring dancer who suffered from mental health issues, was living in a supportive housing facility in the Bronx when he called 911 on the night of April 14, 2019.
After firefighters helped him inside, police arrived at the apartment and pushed open the door. Trawick found him shirtless and holding a knife. In body-worn camera footage, Trawick can be heard telling them he was cooking and asking why they are in his house.
As Trawick walked toward them, Officer Thompson fired his Taser at Trawick and then shot him four times with his gun, even as his partner urged him not to use force. The entire incident – between officers arriving at the door and Thompson fatally shooting Trawick – lasted less than two minutes.
The Bronx district attorney declined to file charges against the officers. An internal investigation by the New York Police Department found no wrongdoing on the part of Thompson or his partner.
Caban’s decision not to impose discipline came nearly a year after a civilian agency charged with overseeing the NYPD filed administrative charges against the officers, who they say should have de-escalated the situation before entering the apartment and more quickly should have provided assistance after the shooting.
An administrative law judge overseeing the case found that the review board waited too long to file the misconduct allegations — a delay the board said was due to the NYPD’s failure to timely file body camera footage and other evidence to be transferred.
The judge’s final decision against imposing penalties on the officers served only as a recommendation to Caban, who has the final say on all disciplinary decisions.
In his statement, Caban said the review board filed their suit after the statute of limitations had expired. He said the department has since adopted a new policy requiring them to provide body camera footage to the board within 90 days of a request.
New York City Council President Adrienne Adams said Friday that the NYPD was ultimately responsible for the delays and described their disciplinary process as “incredibly troubling.”
“For five years, the Trawick family has been forced to fight for any semblance of recognition and accountability for their son’s murder, only to face significant pushback from the NYPD,” she said. “Ultimately, the Trawick family and all New Yorkers are left without the accountability they deserve from the city’s police force.”