Vigil Over Cop Killing of Brooklyn Dad Delrawn Small Turns Into Passionate Protest

Pictured: Victor Dempsey, brother of the victim. Photos by John V. Santore

EAST NEW YORK, BROOKLYN — A vigil in memory of Brooklyn dad Delrawn Small, killed by a cop at a traffic stop first thing Monday morning, turned into a passionate protest Wednesday that blocked traffic on Atlantic Avenue and veered toward a confrontation with police before settling down.

Small, 37, was shot dead by an off-duty New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer early on July 4 at Atlantic Avenue and Bradford Street, the site of the vigil.

Pictured: Candles wrapped in photos of the victim

According to the NYPD, Small and the officer had both been driving down Atlantic when they nearly collided. Small exited his vehicle, police said, and began assaulting the cop — identified in media reports as Wayne Isaacs, 37.

While still inside his car, the officer fired his weapon, striking Small, police said.

The victim's wife, two of her children, and the couple's infant son were sitting inside his car when the shots rang out, according to Small's family.

Assemblyman Charles Barron, who represents East New York, led Wednesday's vigil, setting a resolute tone early on. Surrounded by Small's friends and relatives, each wearing white T-shirts printed with Small's photo and his nickname, "Fubu," Barron said Small's history of petty crime — detailed extensively by some media outlets — was irrelevant to the case.

"The only thing that maters is what happened on that day," Barron said, before leading a chant of "Bratton must go," in reference to NYPD commissioner William Bratton.

Pictured: Delrawn Small. Photo courtesy of the Small family.

"We've had death by those who are paid to protect us," Barron continued. "If you ignore all of our peaceful efforts for justice, violence is inevitable."

"If we don't get justice, I don't know what the system's about," said Victor Dempsey, Small's brother. "The NYPD is not trying to give us the truth."

New York Councilwoman Inez Barron, whose district includes East New York, read a statement from the Council's Black, Latino and Asian Caucus stating that the group was "outraged" at the "reckless violence" that had been directed toward Small.

Barron said it was "grossly inappropriate" that the NYPD was involved in the "collection and retention of evidence" related to the case.

Because the shooting involved an unarmed civilian, its investigation has been taken over by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, under authority granted to his office by a 2015 executive order signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

However, the NYPD has reportedly collected surveillance video from nearby businesses showing the shooting. While the tapes have not been released, unnamed police sources told the New York Daily News that they back up the NYPD's account of what happened.

Schneiderman's office declined to comment Wednesday on what, if any, video footage it had reviewed, or whether the tapes would ever be released to the public.

Wednesday night's vigil crowd originally filled a sidewalk adjacent to the scene of the shooting.

However, Barron, claiming the NYPD was trying to break up the event, eventually moved it into the street, blocking traffic.

At that point, several dozen officers, including Brooklyn North commander Jeffrey Maddrey, stepped out of their vehicles. Some officers directed traffic onto adjacent streets, while others assembled as if prepared to make arrests.

Pictured, left: Commander Jeffrey Maddrey.

At one point, when a subset of protesters, apparently led by members of activist group Cop Watch, yelled insults at the cops, Barron tried to direct attention back to Small's family, who seemed to be avoiding the area of conflict.

Speaking from the center of Atlantic Avenue, Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, called for "solidarity" for all victims of police brutality.

"This has got to stop," Carr said. "These police officers, the murderous ones, have to be held accountable. They should not be above the law."

Vernon Dempsey then directly addressed the cops on duty. "Y'all out here doing your job," he said. "You should have been doing your job the other night. Y'all go home when you're done with your shift. My brother's not coming back."

"We don't like how y'all running your goddamn department," Dempsey continued. In the future, he said, he hoped cops with a strong moral compass would check the impulses of bad ones.

"If you're a bad cop, put your f*cking badge away," Dempsey said, before apologizing for his language.

Pictured: Vernon Dempsey addressed NYPD officers Wednesday night

In the end, Barron dismissed the protesters who had been focused solely on the night's NYPD presence as attention seekers who were "not doing that for the family."

The local politician relayed that Small's family members had asked for the night's events to be brought to a close, but pledged to return soon with a larger crowd.

"If you don't like it, arrest us all," Barron said, in the moments before the crowd began to disperse.