In a scathing statement released Wednesday, a national organization of Black law enforcement professionals expressed a vote of no confidence in New York State Attorney General Letitia James, citing her handling of a police shooting case in New Rochelle.
The organization, Blacks In Law Enforcement of America (BLEA), took issue with the Attorney General’s office’s decision not to bring charges in the 2023 shooting death of Jarrel Garris, an unarmed Black man who was experiencing a mental health crisis when New Rochelle police killed him.
“Once again, our elected officials and law enforcement leadership have failed to address police encounters with Black men, particularly those struggling with mental illness in the state of New York,” said Damon K. Jones, New York Representative of BLEA.
The case has reignited debates about police use of force, especially in situations involving mental health crises and racial disparities in law enforcement outcomes.
The Incident and Its Aftermath
According to police reports and body camera footage, Mr. Garris was involved in an altercation with New Rochelle police officers in early 2023. The encounter ended fatally when Detective Steven Conn shot Mr. Garris, who was unarmed at the time.
Detective Conn claimed he fired his weapon because he believed another officer’s gun was at risk. However, body camera footage revealed that the other officer immediately stated she still had possession of her firearm, a discrepancy that BLEA says raises serious questions about the justification for the use of deadly force.
The Attorney General’s office, after investigating the incident, declined to bring charges against Detective Conn. Instead, it recommended that the New Rochelle Police Department “upgrade its policies” — a suggestion that BLEA finds woefully inadequate.
“This recommendation fails to address the root causes of these tragic incidents and inappropriately shifts the burden of policy development onto local departments without proper guidance or standardization,” Mr. Jones stated.
Calls for Systemic Reform
BLEA’s criticism extends beyond this single case. The organization points out that despite the submission of independent reviews from every police department in New York following George Floyd’s death in 2020, Attorney General James has not proposed comprehensive state-wide policies on police use of force when encountering individuals with mental illness.
To address these concerns, BLEA is calling for several sweeping reforms, including:
- State-wide standardized training on de-escalation and mental health crisis response
- Clear, uniform guidelines on use of force in mental health emergencies
- Increased funding for mental health response teams
- Greater accountability in investigations of police-involved shootings
- A comprehensive review of current law enforcement policies and practices across New York State
Broader Implications
The BLEA statement comes at a time of heightened scrutiny of policing practices nationwide. While New York has seen the appointment of more Black officials to positions of power in recent years, including Attorney General James herself, BLEA argues that this representation has not translated into meaningful change.
“We live in an age of Black representation at all levels of government, yet we have still failed to find solutions and hold law enforcement accountable for shooting unarmed Black people,” Mr. Jones said. “Instead of giving us justice, these representatives have become co-conspirators in a system that continues to fail our communities.”.
As debates over police reform continue to shape policy discussions nationwide, the Garris case and BLEA’s response highlight the ongoing challenges in addressing systemic issues in law enforcement and criminal justice. With calls for action growing louder, how state and local officials will respond to these demands for comprehensive reform remains to be seen.
Black Law Enforcement of America: No Confidence in New York State Attorney General's Office Regarding the K… by Damon K Jones on Scribd
