Mount Vernon — The family of Rashi McLean who was acquitted of murder charges held a press conference, Wednesday on the steps of City Hall to announce they were filing a federal lawsuit against the city of Mount Vernon, its police department and Westchester County prosecutors, accusing the parties of violating his civil rights by prosecuting him despite being aware of his innocence.
Immediately following the presser, News 12’s Ty Milburn went across the street to get a comment from the MVPD. Mount Vernon police had acknowledged mistakes in the case but maintained that the evidence points toward McClean as the shooter.Deputy Chief Roy Hastings says the department will respect the jury’s verdict, but he denies that the charges were trumped-up, News 12 Westchester reported.
“He beat the case on a technicality,” Hastings says.
McLean’s Attorney Pamela D. Hayes who feels There needs to be a comprehensive investigation by a higher authority into this matter, tells BW she was disappointed by the MVPD Deputy Chief’s statement.
“We are disappointed in the Deputy Chief Roy Hastings of the MVPD response on May 31, 2017, Hayes shares with BW. “There was no technicality. There was a diverse jury made of Caucasians, Hispanics, and Afro-Centric diaspora, that heard all of the evidence and disagreed with Prosecution’s case. The lost evidence was crucial to the defense’s case, not the Prosecution’s case.”
Westchester County Assistant District Attorney, Ms. Prisco called “the Mount Vernon Police Incompetent” and says “They need an overhaul of the Police Department,” in her summation, in County Court on Wednesday, May 10th. Ms. Prisco went on to say, “…there should be ramifications for that type of thing. Someone should be disciplined. Someone should be suspended. Someone should be terminated.”
The Westchester district attorney’s office once again declined to comment on the case.
McLean’s attorney Ms. Hayes had a few words of advice for the MVPD;
“We would hope that the MVPD would be more concerned about the missing evidence about the irregularities that surfaced during the trial. They should take seriously the Prosecutor’s recommendation that there should be a complete overhaul of the department.”
McLean’s attorneys Lauren P. Raysor, Esq. and Pamela D. Hayes will be supporting the Senate’s Bill S2412-A A5285 Introduced to establish a Commission on Prosecutorial Conduct.
