Saheed Vassell Wasn't Holding Pipe When NYPD Shot Him, Mom Claims

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Saheed Vassell's mother doesn't believe her son was carrying the metal pipe witnesses mistook for a gun when four police officers shot the bipolar man dead in a Crown Heights street a year ago.

“We don’t believe the NYPD narrative, we never did," Lorna Vassell said. "We don’t believe Saheed had anything in his hand when he was killed.”

"From the beginning, there have been lies and misinformation overtly spread to make our son look guilty and the NYPD look innocent," added Eric Vassell, Saheed's father. "Many questions remain unanswered and the public is still misinformed about his murder."

The Vassells were joined by elected officials and community organizers on the steps of City Hall Wednesday, the day before the one year anniversary of the 34-year-old man's death, to demand Mayor Bill de Blasio hold the NYPD accountable for killing their son and leaking sealed and edited information to the press.

Lorna and Eric Vassell maintain the NYPD manipulated video footage and 911 transcripts from the April 4 shooting to support a narrative they do not believe: That their son seemed to be pointing a weapon when four police officers shot him at least 10 times.

“The first thing the NYPD did was blame him for his own death," said Lorna Vassell. "But it took six weeks for the public to learn the name of the officers."

While the Attorney General's office cleared the NYPD officers of criminal misconduct, investigators condemned how police released information about the shooting, noting it "served no useful purpose except to denigrate Mr. Vassell" and that surveillance footage had been edited "to emphasize a narrative that the object Mr. Vassell wielded appeared be a weapon."

But Vassell's parents were not appeased by Attorney General Tish James' recommendations that the NYPD reassess its public information policies and chastised her for a report they found disappointing and poorly-timed.

"For this decision to come less than a week before the anniversary of Saheed’s death, while we are in deep mourning and deep grief, was insensitive to the many injustices our family has already suffered," said Vassell's father. "We feel disrespected."

James, who appeared at an unrelated press conference in Brooklyn the same day, said she shared the Vassell's disappointment but stood by the report findings.

"I understand how hard and difficult it was to accept my report and my recommendations," James said. "We did it based on the law and based on an objective overview, and based on the objective overview and the review of all of the evidence, it would have been difficult to sustain charges against the police officer."

Brooklyn City Council members Brad Lander and Antonio Reynoso joined the Vassells at City Hall to demand the officers involved be placed on modified duty and condemn both the NYPD and the Attorney General's office report.

"They needed to dehumanize Vassell in order to justify their killing of an animal," Reynoso said.“What we don’t need is a half-thought investigation with limited information, with a P. R. campaign on the NYPD side trying to justify their actions."

"We are done with it, it stops now," said Reynoso. "We need to keep standing up."

This piece features reporting from Patch journalists Gus Saltonstall and Noah Manskar.