The undercover police officer approached Dorismond and his friend as they were standing outside the “Distinguished Wakamba Cocktail Lounge” and asked him where he and his partners could purchase marijuana. One of the officers, Anthony Vasquez, shot Patrick Dorismond in the chest during a scuffle. The officers claim the scuffle began when Dorismond became angry after they propositioned him, loudly declaring he was not a drug dealer. They state he threw a punch at a second officer and with his friend, Kevin Kaiser, began attacking him. Officer Vasquez said he came to his partner’s aid, hearing one of the men yelling “Get his gun!”, drew his weapon and identified himself as a police officer. He claimed Dorismond grabbed the gun, causing it to discharge into his chest. Dorismond’s friend, Kevin Kaiser, claims that neither of the officers identified themselves. He says he attempted unsuccessfully to pull Dorismond back from the confrontation. He described the first undercover cop who had approached Dorismond as aggressive and “in their face”. Kaiser said it was one of the cops who initiated the fight, hitting Dorismond first. An ambulance arrived on the scene within minutes of the shooting and Dorismond was transported to St. Clare’s Hospital where attempts to resuscitate him proved futile. The single bullet from Vasquez’s 9mm pistol had struck Dorismond’s aorta and his right lung, and he rapidly bled to death.Dorismond’s funeral in Brooklyn was a highly emotional affair, marred by clashes between thousands of protestors and the NYPD. 23 police officers were injured, and several protesters were arrested as well. On July 27, 2000, a grand jury declined to indict Officer Vasquez in the death of Dorismond, announcing that they had found the shooting to be accidental.On March 12, 2003, the City of New York agreed to pay the Dorismond family $2.25 million to settle a suit filed on behalf of the family.
Source: Wikipedia
Funeral for Justice 