THE BRONX — The cop accused of shooting unarmed teen Ramarley Graham in his Bronx home is expected to turn himself in to authorities Wednesday, sources told DNAinfo.com New York.
Officer Richard Haste is expected to be indicted on manslaughter charges Wednesday, sources said. He is accused of chasing Graham, 18, into the teen's East 229th Street home and shooting him in the chest in the bathroom.
A grand jury indicted Haste Monday, but the paperwork wasn't expected to be finalized until Wednesday, sources said.
Sources close to the Graham family say they are not pleased by the news. The family has called for Haste to be indicted for murder during weekly protests at the 47th Precinct station house.
"The family is not happy," said the source who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak on the Graham family's behalf. "It wasn't what they were expecting in this case."
Cops investigating a drug deal on Feb. 2, chased after Graham, who they believe had a gun in his waistband, from White Plains Road and East 228th Street to his home at 749 E. 229th St.
Officers tried to break through the front door of the building before being granted access by a neighbor. Then they broke through the front door of the apartment.
Once inside, Haste, 30, confronted Graham in the bathroom before shooting him in the chest as the teen's grandmother and younger brother looked on.
Police said they found a single bag of marijuana in the wake of the shooting.
"Not a day goes by that I don't cry. We don't sleep," Ramarley Graham's father, Franclot Graham, said at a recent rally for his son. "All we want for our son is justice."
Haste and his supervisor Sgt. Scott Morris, have been stripped of their guns and badges and placed on desk duty.
"While no one takes any pleasure in a life loss or a police officer being indicted, we always demand that the process of justice be fairly and impartially administered," the Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement. "We will continue to stand with Ramarley Graham’s parents during the difficult days ahead."
PBA President Patrick J. Lynch defended Haste's actions.
"We look forward to a complete review of the facts in this case, which will demonstrate that this police officer believed that he was pursuing an armed felon who bolted rather than be caught with an illegal gun," said Lynch.
"Several members of the officer's team had confirmed the presence of a gun and that constituted a grave danger to the officers and the community," he added. "We believe that this officer will be exonerated at trial."
