Photos: Nephew of Delrawn Small Leads Black Lives Matter March Through Manhattan

Pictured: Zayanahla Vines, left, at Saturday's rally. Photos by John V. Santore

DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — The nephew of Delrawn Small led a Black Lives Matter rally through lower Manhattan on Saturday night, one day after new video of his uncle's shooting death at the hands of an off-duty NYPD officer appeared to contradict the department's account of the incident.

Small was fatally shot on July 4 in East New York, Brooklyn, by officer Walter Isaacs, after the two had reportedly nearly collided while driving on Atlantic Avenue.

An initial NYPD statement claimed that Small had exited his car, approached Isaacs, and punched the officer "repeatedly in the head through the car window" before shots were fired.

That account was challenged by Small's family, and video obtained and released Friday by The New York Post shows that Small was shot almost as soon as he arrived at Isaacs' vehicle.

On Saturday, Small's nephew, Zayanahla Vines, 22, described his uncle as "a great guy" who took care of his family and infant son, and who had turned his life around after earlier difficulties, including time spent behind bars.

Delrawn Small. Photo courtesy of the family.

"My uncle was killed in cold blood by somebody wearing a badge, and that man is still walking free today," Vines said to a crowd of supporters by the Brooklyn Bridge. "I'm tired of this, fighting for rights that should be given to us as American people."

Asked by a reporter what justice in the case would look like, Vines said, "Throw [Isaacs] in jail, just like you would throw me in jail if I did that."

The NYPD did not respond to a request for comment about the Post's video. Small's shooting is being investigated by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

Zayanahla Vines speaking Saturday

Vines then led an initially silent march of several hundred protesters up Broadway toward Union Square — silent at Vines' request, in honor of those who had been killed by police.

Once the rally shifted into high gear, it was dominated by a cacophony of overlapping chants, some calling broadly for justice, others accusing police officers of racism. NYPD officers guided the protesters without incident, though several arrests were mentioned on Twitter later in the evening.

At Union Square, a series of speakers took to a microphone to share a variety of messages with the crowd.

"Policing does not save black lives," said one speaker. "Liberation and organizing saves black lives."

Calls for all the black people in attendance to raise their fists proudly were followed by one asking everyone in the diverse crown to join.

"We all came in as one," a speaker said later. "If we stand as one, we can make a change."

On Friday, Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton responded to the recent shooting of 12 officers in Dallas, five fatally, by praising police forces for their dedication to public safety, while also acknowledging that ongoing reforms are needed.

"There are a lot of people who are angry and anxious," said Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, who joined the officials for one of two press conferences they held. Even so, Johnson said, "just like the shooter does not represent the broader spectrum of people who want change, any police officer who engages in excessive force does not represent the law enforcement community at large."