No Charges in 2019 Killing by NYPD Officer

By Kevin Deutsch 
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Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark Wednesday announced that her office’s year-long investigation into the NYPD killing of a man in his apartment last year “has resulted in no criminal charges being brought.“

In an evening news release, Clark said the shooting of Kawaski Trawick, 32, inside his non-profit housing unit in Morris Heights April 19 was “tragic,” but that criminal charges in the case were “not appropriate.”

“Although we do not find that the facts warrant a criminal prosecution, this event does demand a thoughtful review of police procedures and training techniques,” said Clark. “Additionally, as a community, we must do a better job of providing appropriate support for the residents and staff of supportive housing services in the city.”

Trawick was reportedly armed with a knife and wooden stick when police shot him dead at Hill House, a Taser having failed to subdue him after he allegedly charged them in the supportive housing facility, police said at the time.

Clark said a formal report detailing her office’s investigation will be released publicly in the coming weeks. No additional details were released about their decision Wednesday.

The report will outline “the basis for the conclusion that criminal charges against the police officer involved in the shooting…are not appropriate,” the news release said.

About Kevin Deutsch 265 Articles
Kevin Deutsch is a Staff Writer for Bronx Justice News covering the criminal justice system, drugs, and DNA use by law enforcement. An award-winning journalist, Deutsch is the author of the true crime books "Pill City" and "The Triangle." He has worked on staff at the Daily News, Miami Herald, Newsday, The Palm Beach Post, and The Riverdale Press. His work has also appeared in Newsweek, Columbia Journalism Review, The New York Times, The Village Voice, The Forward, The Independent, Huffington Post, Orlando Sentinel, and the New York Post, among other publications. His numerous television appearances include spots on CNN, MSNBC, and C-SPAN's BookTV. He has also been featured in The New Yorker. A Bronx resident, Deutsch hosts the true crime podcast "A Dark Turn" on the Authors on the Air Global Radio Network.