Gunshots Echo in the Stairwell Fatal Police Shooting of Red Hook Man Recalls Gowanus Tragedy of 20 Years Ago
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Yo u r Neighborhood — Yo u r News® BrooklynPaper.com • (718) 260–2500 • Brooklyn, NY • ©2014 Serving Brownstone Brooklyn, Williamsburg & Greenpoint AWP/16 pages • Vol. 37, No. 49 • December 5–11, 2014 • FREE Gunshots echo in the stairwell Fatal police shooting of Red Hook man recalls Gowanus tragedy of 20 years ago By Noah Hurowitz The Brooklyn Paper MORE INSIDE The fatal shooting of a Red Hook man by a rookie police of- Ferguson protest takes Flatbush Ave. ficer on Nov. 20 could have been SEE PAGE 12 prevented, said the father of the vic- tim of a similar shooting that took Paper reporter floored by officer place in Gowanus in 1994. Officer Peter Liang shot and SEE PAGE 12 killed Akai Gurley in a dark stair- well of the Louis H. Pink Houses torney Charles Hynes chose not to up on charges of criminally neglect in East New York at 11:15 pm on press charges. At a press confer- homicide,” Heyward said. “There Nov. 20, police said. Liang and an- ence called last week in response is no reason to shoot into the dark- other cop entered the stairwell on to Gurley’s death, Heyward reit- ness. He had no idea what he was the eight floor with weapons unhol- erated the demand that police stop shooting at.” stered and, when Gurley came in on assigning rookie officers to do so- A grand jury declined to bring the seventh floor, Liang fired once, called “vertical patrols” in public the same charge against Officer hitting him in the chest, an NYPD housing developments, which of- Richard Neri, who shot Stans- spokeswoman said. For one dad, the ficers were doing when both kill- death, which police commissioner ings occurred. He also restated his bury dead. Bill Bratton called an “unfortunate opposition to police patrolling with The most recent death came days accident,” kicked up memories of their weapons drawn, as they were before a Missouri grand jury de- his own son’s demise at the hands doing in both instances. clined to indict Ferguson cop Dar- of a police officer in a public hous- In 2004, between Gurley’s and ren Wilson for killing unarmed teen ing stairwell. Heyward’s deaths, an officer fatally Michael Brown, sparking protests “My son wasn’t committing no shot Timothy Stansbury, Jr. at the nationwide, including a massive, crime,” said Nicholas Heyward, Sr, Louis Armstrong Houses in Bed- traffic-stopping march down Flat- calling for prosecutors to indict Li- ford-Stuyvesant, under remarkably bush Avenue . On Wednesday, at ang. “These incidents aren’t trage- similar circumstances. At the time, press time, a Staten Island grand dies, they are murders. The police then–police chief Ray Kelly said jury declined to indict the officer are killing us.” he would review the protocol for who choked Gowanus native Eric Nicholas Heyward, Jr. was 13 on vertical patrols, and Borough Pres- Garner to death. Sept. 27, 1994, when an officer came ident Adams, then a police lieuten- It was against the backdrop of the upon him playing cops and robbers ant, called for an end to guns-out looming Ferguson decision that fire- in the Gowanus Houses building stairwell sweeps . brand Assemblyman Charles Bar- where he lived. Heyward was hold- Protocol then allowed for offi- ing a toy rifle. Friends reported hear- cer discretion in choosing to pull ron (D–East New York) organized ing him say “We’re playing!” before out a pistol, and it still does, Brat- a press conference calling for Li- the gunfire that took his life. Hey- ton told the Times in the wake of ang’s prosecution. At it, he pointed ward, Sr. says that the toy did not the Gurley shooting. out that Bratton was police chief look like an actual weapon. That is not okay, and inexperi- back when Heyward died. In the aftermath, Heyward, Sr. Photo by Elizabeth Graham ence and nervousness do not excuse “Bratton is here to protect killer called for the cop responsible to be Nicholas Heyward, Sr. stands in front of a mural remembering his son Nicholas Heyward, Jr., who died in 1994 after a Liang’s behavior, Heyward said. cops,” Barron said. “This was not prosecuted, but then–District At- police officer on patrol in the Gowanus Houses shot him in a stairwell. “This officer should be brought an accident, it was a crime.” HOMEWARD BOUND have been trained to fight, or cats Williamsburg vegans rescue unloved animals with feline leukemia, which mous- ers can live with for years but is By Luke Tress warehouse and set to work find- takes all kinds of animals, in- usually grounds for euthanasia. for The Brooklyn Paper ing them homes. cluding at various times seagulls, Empty Cages is doing all it can It’s no animal left behind — They also pick up injured an- ducks, tarantulas, rabbits, snakes to stem the tide, said di- even rats. imals that other shelters are and guinea pigs. rector Jessica Zafonte, a A group of uber-veg- planning to kill, going so Neighbors some- Manhattanite. ans is rescuing animals, far as to fly furry friends times bring in- “People treat ani- including deeply un- from out-of-state to jured squirrels mals like they’re gar- spare them from be- and pigeons — the bage,” said Zafonte. popular, near-death ???! creatures such as ing euthanized. Empty Cages space fea- “We are a very high- poisoned rats and What keeps them go- tures an open area for kkill city.” maimed pigeons, ing is their vegan ide- birds to practice flying Most of Empty Cages’ charges and nursing ology, which views an- — and members say that each are pulled from shelters run by them to health RATS! imal rights as a cause on year they find chickens that es- Animal Care and Control of in Williams- par with the abo- caped the ritual slaughter of Yom NYC, a private group that gets burg. llition of slavery, Kippur, or that were abandoned city money and takes in any and The goal of the Empty Cages one volunteer said. after Easter. At least one rat has all species, but which euthanized Collective, according to its direc- “Racism is exactly come from the subway, but they 5,243 cats and dogs and 802 other tor, is simple: save as many an- the same as species- get most of their rodents from animals last year, according to imals as possible. To make this ism,” said Natalia Ta- laboratories and snake-food its website. Zafonte charges that happen, the volunteers that com- sic, a Bensonhurst breeders. Animal Care and Control shelters prise the organization field calls resident. New Yorkers kill and are often overcrowded, causing and dash across the city to re- Most rescue abandon thousands of many animals to fall sick. spond to tips about, say, a raccoon groups only accept animals each year, In a statement, the group ac- caught in a barbed-wire fence, cats and dogs, but PIGEONS! and shelters are le- knowledged the problem, but Photo by Jason Speakman or an orphaned kitten crying in in pursuit of species gally allowed to put said it is working to address it Bay Ridge resident and Empty Cages volunteer Kenia Castellanos with her foster Egyptian the rain, then ferry the distressed equality, the Empty down healthy ones, through such measures as vac- spiny mouse Charlie. critters to the room they rent in a Cages Collective such as pit bulls that See VEGANS on page 12 Monarchy from the UK Our bespoke guide to Brooklyn for the royal couple By Matthew Perlman true to the name, fish and chips are the Mill Basin because, you know, kings. The Brooklyn Paper signature item, alongside bangers and Kings Plaza Shopping Center (Av- The British are coming! mash and shepherd’s pie — but slum- enue U between Flatbush Avenue Prince William and Kate Middleton, ming it has a proud tradition among top- and E. 55th Street in Mill Basin, www. the duke and duchess of Cambridge, are hat-wearers for whom polo is a reason- kingsplazaonline.com). headed for Kings County next week. able sport and not a brand of clothing. New York Chess and Games The trip will be the royal couple’s first And with two locations a short carriage- Park Slope’s most prominent chess- to the borough, part of ride from the Barclays and-board-game retailer is conveniently a three-day New York Center, it’s an ultra-con- located across Flatbush Avenue from visit, and while here they venient option. Besides, the Barclays Center. It is perfectly posi- are scheduled to catch where else in Brooklyn tioned for the pair to pick up a chess-set can a homesick Brit find a Dec. 8 Nets game memento that, considering all their free a treacle pudding with time and disposable income, could have against LeBron “King” custard? James and his Cleveland them giving the whizzes at Edward R. The Chip Shop [129 Murrow a run for their money before you Cavaliers. is awesome Atlantic Ave. between Henry and Clinton can say “checkmate.” King them! Not much is public New York Chess and Games [192 about the posh pair’s plans for the day, streets in Brooklyn Heights, and 383 Flatbush Ave. at Dean Street in Park but we have some suggestions to round Fifth Ave. at Sixth Street in Park Slope, Slope, (718) 398–3727, www.newy- out what is sure to be an exciting stop- (718) 855–7775 and (718) 832–7701, orkchessandgameshop.com]. over for the world’s most famous wel- www.chipshopnyc.com].