The tragic loss of 2-year-old Montrell Williams has led his Bronx family to file a hefty $60.5 million wrongful death claim against the NYPD. The family alleges the department's negligence in the handling of the boy's disappearance, which began on May 10 and ended tragically with the discovery of his body in the East River a month later. According to a claim obtained by PIX11, the NYPD did not respond urgently to warnings about the missing child, initially dismissing the situation as a custody dispute.
On May 11, the day after Montrell was last seen with his father, Arius Williams, his mother and grandmother contacted the police multiple times. Despite these repeated pleas for intervention, officers deemed the situation a custody issue. The family asserts that a meaningful investigation was not launched, and no Amber alert was issued. Even after they contacted the police, Montrell's father was not located until he revealed to the boy's mother that he had thrown Montrell off the Bruckner Bridge, according to statements obtained by Gothamist.
Furthermore, the family claims they faced an inadequate response when initially reporting Montrell missing, with one member recounting an officer's dismissive "So what?" reaction to learning of an active warrant issued for Arius Williams. This response came under scrutiny during a press conference where Montrell's grandmother, Octavia Roane, conveyed the lack of concern they felt from the NYPD. "She's very hurt right now," Roane said. "The way the police responded, the way they acted towards us, no care in the world," as reported by Gothamist.
The family's lawsuit seeks compensation for wrongful death, negligence, emotional distress, and the conscious pain and suffering that Montrell experienced prior to his death. Rev. Kevin McCall added his voice to the family's grievance, stating "Two-year-old Montrell Williams should be here today if it wasn’t for the NYPD being neglectful in finding him. No amount of money will bring him back, however, the NYPD has to be held responsible," as relayed by PIX11. The NYPD, while promising to review the lawsuit, has maintained that they received the initial complaint a day after the murder occurred. NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has stated that the handling of the case is under investigation.
