A family from Queens is disputing the New York Police Department's account of the fatal police shooting of their 29-year-old son, Chez Fray. The incident in Far Rockaway has prompted calls for transparency and accountability from the family and civil rights groups.
According to ABC7NY, Fray's father placed a 911 call requesting help for his son, who was reportedly behaving erratically after using marijuana. Police state that a physical confrontation occurred when Fray, allegedly armed with a box cutter, approached officers. The family disputes this account, with Fray’s father stating that no altercation took place and that he only embraced his son to show care and a desire to get help, as reported by civil rights activist Rev. Kevin McCall.
In a statement reported by CBS News, Chez Fray's parents said they asked two responding officers not to use lethal force. The officers encountered Chez in a hallway, and the situation ended with one officer firing a weapon. Rev. Kevin McCall stated that Kevin Fray was then held for five hours following the incident, adding to the family’s distress.
The Fray family has requested the release of police body camera footage and the dismissal of the officers involved. They are calling for an investigation, with Rev. McCall pointing out the gap between the NYPD’s community policing principles and the treatment of a grieving father.
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