Nicholas Heyward Sr. who’s been seeking justice in the shooting death of his 13 year old son Nicholas Heyward Jr. back in 1994 when NYPD cop, Brian George, now retired and on a pension. George was known for “patrolling” the buildings with his gun out. George shot and killed 13 year old Nicholas Jr. while he was playing with toy guns with friends in the stairwell of his building. The toy Nicholas was playing with was a fluorescent orange tipped gun with a light brown handle, easily recognizable as a toy.

Witness said Nicholas Jr. saw George dropped the toy and shouted, “We’re only playn, we’re only playn”, when George shot him in the stomach. Previous D.A.’s, like Charles Hynes, have covered up for George’s actions and denied Heyward Sr the justice he desperately deserves.

Mr. Heyward got his hopes up that a new D.A., Ken Thompson, would re open the case and he would finally find the justice he’s sought so long to find, only to be disappointed again when no action was taken on Mr Heyward’s behalf. Today they went to the Department of Investigation to seek help. Nicholas Heyward Sr. brought a letter seeking help to the offices of the DOI.

Join Mr. Heyward and the Committee for Nicholas Heyward Jr. outside of the Department of Investigations as he demands that the Brooklyn DA’s Office be investigated for their conduct in the re-investigation of the Nicholas Heyward Jr. case.

***Media advisory for tomorrow’s press conference with Mr. Heyward***

For Immediate Release:

Father of Boy Killed By Police Demands Dept. of Investigation Probe Brooklyn DA’s Office

WHAT: Press conference
WHO: Nicholas Heyward Sr., the Committee for Nicholas Heyward Jr. and supporters
WHERE: In front of DOI office, 80 Maiden Lane
WHEN: Thursday, February 23rd at 12:15pm

New York City- The father of Nicholas Heyward Jr., a 13-year old shot to death by a police in 1994, will file a complaint and deliver a letter to the city’s Department of Investigation. Mr. Heyward is demanding that the DOI investigate the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office handling of the Heyward case. Last year, the Brooklyn DA publicly announced that he had re-opened the investigation. However, their ‘re-investigation’ was a political stunt, further marred by political corruption, and essentially was a copy-and-paste of disgraced DA Charles Hynes’ cover up from 1994, Mr. Heyward says. Importantly, contrary to his statements to Mr. Heyward, Ken Thompson either did not investigate a possible cover-up by his predecessor, or he never publicly reported on the findings of such an investigation.

The Department of Investigations has broad investigative power to examine official misconduct and corruption. Mr. Heyward will demand the DOI look into the role of office prosecutors, some who worked on the first botched investigation during Hynes era, and examine the process, which Mr. Heyward believes was a never a serious examination of the facts. Multiple members of the Thompson Administration made statements to Mr. Heyward during the ‘re-investigation’ that reflected political determinations playing a role in the case, which is contrary to the obligations of the District Attorney’s office.

The Brooklyn DA’s Office denied Mr. Heyward a copy of its final report from the 2016 investigation and has forced him, outrageously, to make a Freedom of Information request to get information about the examination into his son’s murder. Key passages in the report he received are heavily redacted, and Mr. Heyward believes the DA’s Office is covering up what was a sham investigation.

Attorney MJ Williams, said that after the “investigation” into Nicholas Jr.s murder the D.A.’s didn’t even give Mr Heyward a copy of the report the HE requested and diligently participated in himself. The D. A.’s office told Mr Heyward that he would have to file for FOIA request if he wanted a copy of the report. They did that in November and it took until January, “months later, well past the time where, under the law, they need to provide a response” the office provided the report.

“This whole process shows the offices endemic disrespect of Mr. Heyward and the Heyward family and of this process where a 13 year old boy was killed by an “officer” (quotes mine) in 1994 and there’s no accountability, no justice. It showed the office wanted to hide the information not just from Mr Heyward but from the public” MJ showed the small crowd of supporters and media the heavily redacted “investigation” report. MJ said they appealed the report and the office defended their right to their redacted report. Mr Heyward never should have had to go through a FOIA request to get information on an investigation that he himself requested and initiated. “The redactions are voluntary under the law and the office chose to assert them to deny this information”.

MJ flipped page after page of large blacked out spaces where the report had been redacted. “WE LEARNED THE ABSENCE OF INFORMATION. ALL THE TIMES THEY MET WITH MR. HEYWARD, THEY NEVER INCLUDED ANY INFORMATION MR. HEYWARD PROVIDED WITH RESPECT TO THE SHOOTING OF HIS SON”.