A US judge has dismissed charges against a New York police officer who is accused of shooting dead an unarmed teenager at his grandmotherâ„¢s home.
Bronx Supreme Court Justice Steven Barrett threw out manslaughter charges against Officer Richard Haste on Wednesday, over an error committed by the assistant district attorney.
The judge stated that the prosecution drew a false impression of how Hasteâ„¢s fellow officers influenced his decision to fire his gun, which killed 18-year-old Ramarley Graham on February 2.
The ruling brought forth a volley of cheers from police officers who prowled the courtroom, as the victimâ„¢s parents and friends sobbed bitter tears.
Å“There is nothing to cheer here,” said Jeffrey Emdin, attorney for the Graham family, adding that Å“a young man lost his life, and that is the man who took that life…. It puts salt in the wounds.”
Graham was shot dead after the police officer chased him to his grandmotherâ„¢s apartment, kicking the door open and shooting him in the chest, while he was reportedly attempting to flush a bag of marijuana down the toilet.
Haste said he mistakenly believed he saw the teenager carrying a firearm.
The fatal confrontation was also considered to be against the law as police were not in possession of a warrant to enter the house.
Haste is currently undergoing another court case in connection with the beating and wrongful arrest of a Bronx man.
The February killing sparked large street protests in New York, raising renewed concerns about the prospect of the New York Police Departmentâ„¢s (NYPD) application of aggressive tactics.
Experts say the shooting can be linked to the NYPDâ„¢s aggressive street policing program called ËœStop-and-Frisk.â„¢ Critics say the program predominately targets low-income minority neighborhoods.
GMA/SS
This article originally appeared on : Press TV