For Immediate Release

YONKERS, NY  — Last night, 37 year old Jarrell Garris died in the hospital after getting shot by New Rochelle Police on last Monday.  

Congressman Jamaal Bowman Ed.D. (NY-16) released the following statement in response:

“I am sending my deepest condolences to the friends and family of Jarrell Garris. He should be alive today and back home in North Carolina with his son. Instead, even though the police knew he experienced schizophrenia, he was shot and killed after police accused him of stealing food from a nearby grocery store. Police brutality has been sickening our country and taking the lives of our loved ones for decades. We must protect the Black bodies that are the most vulnerable and root out the police brutality that has spread to every corner of our country. Let’s begin the process of curing America of its anti-Black racism that is so intricately and intentionally woven into the fabric of every American system and institution. It’s time to enact and pass federal, state and local legislation that holds law enforcement accountable and takes a public health approach to public safety. Police cannot be the only officials involved when it comes to public safety – we need social workers, community members, doctors, and more to ensure safety for everyone. We cannot lose any more precious lives to senseless police killings.

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