Kawaski Trawick’s family, advocates continue campaign for justice against officers who shot and killed him five years ago

For half a decade, Kawaski Trawick’s family and friends have been demanding accountability after the Bronx man was shot and killed by police at his home in 2019.

Police Officers Brendan Thompson and Herbert Davis arrived at Trawick’s Bronx apartment following a mental health call that ended with the 32-year-old being shot four times inside his own home. In the days, months, and years since family and community members have demanded accountability from the NYPD and the firing of the cops who killed him — but no such action has been taken.

On Wednesday, demonstrators led by the Justice Committee rallied on the steps of City Hall calling for accountability in the deadly incident.

“This whole thing dragged out way, way too long. My cousin Kowalski should be alive, but he was murdered by these officers,” his cousin Shannon Bland said. “If a civilian had done a similar action that person would be in prison right now. Law enforcement should not be held to a lesser standard, they should be held to a higher standard.”

Trawick was living in supportive housing and had apparently been locked out of his room. Yet when police arrived, he had regained access and was cooking with a knife in hand and became agitated when the cops tried to enter his home, ending in the deadly shooting.

In 2021, the Civilian Complaint Review Board recommended that Officers Thompson and Davis be fired, but last September, NYPD Deputy Commissioner Rosemarie Maldonado recommended no such action against the officers, saying that the CCRB’s recommendation violated the statute of limitations.

“There should be accountability. Those officers should not be officers for the decisions that they made. There should be changes, changes to how and who responds,” Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said.

This call for changes to be made to the police response to mental health crisis comes hot on the heels of last month’s police shooting death of 19-year-old Queens resident Win Rozario who actually called 911 for help himself but ended up being shot to death in his own home by responding officers.

“That training that they get is not the same as a mental health professional who does years and years and years of schooling and internships,” Executive Director of Justice Committee Loyda Colon said. “You do not respond to a health crisis with armed police officers.”

Family members, elected officials, and demonstrators are demanding that both officers involved be fired and charged for the killing of Trawick.

The NYPD responded to these demands by simply stating that the disciplinary process remains ongoing.