Representatives from the U.S. Attorney’s office met with the families of Kashad Ashford and Abdul Kamal, two families victimized by police brutality.
“I will be 62 years old later this year, and I have no recollection of a New Jersey grand jury ever indicting police officers in excessive force killings like these,” said an incredulous Lawrence Hamm, whose organization, the People’s Organization for Progress, has been at the forefront of protesting these killings.
Monday, federal representatives from the office of U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman met with the family of Ashford, who was killed Sept. 16, 2014, in Lyndhurst, N.J., by police officers from Rutherford and Lyndhurst and by state police.
As Ashford’s car was being pursued by the police, the car crashed into a wall, disabling it and rendering Ashford unconscious. He was then shot at least seven times in the head, according to one of several versions of the events presented to a state grand jury by the police.
Just two weeks ago, that grand jury absolved those officers of any wrongdoing. The People’s Organization for Progress and the Ashford family are now insisting on a federal investigation of this case.
Tuesday, federal representatives also met with the family of Kamal, who was killed Nov. 11, 2013, by several Irvington police officers. He was fired at 15 times and struck fatally 10 times in front of his Irvington home. He was unarmed.
An Essex County grand jury exonerated those officers last winter. The Kamals are also seeking a federal investigation for their son’s case.