Patrick Dorismond
Encyclopedia
Patrick Moses Dorismond was a security guard and father of two children who was killed by an undercover New York Police Department officer during the early morning of March 16, 2000. The undercover police officer approached Dorismond and his friend as they were standing outside the "Distinguished Wakamba Cocktail Lounge" and asked him where he and his partners could purchase marijuana. One of the officers, Anthony Vasquez, shot Patrick Dorismond in the chest during a scuffle.
The officers claim the scuffle began when Dorismond became angry after they propositioned him, loudly declaring he was not a drug dealer. They state he threw a punch at a second officer and with his friend, Kevin Kaiser, began attacking him. Officer Vasquez said he came to his partner's aid, hearing one of the men yelling "Get his gun!", drew his weapon and identified himself as a police officer. He claimed Dorismond grabbed the gun causing it to discharge into his chest.
Dorismond's friend, Kevin Kaiser, claims that neither of the officers identified themselves. He says he attempted unsuccessfully to pull Dorismond back from the confrontation. He described the first undercover cop who had approached Dorismond as aggressive and “in their face.” Kaiser said it was one of the cops who initiated the fight, hitting Dorismond first.
An ambulance arrived on the scene within minutes of the shooting and Dorismond was transported to St. Clare's Hospital where attempts to resuscitate him proved futile. The single bullet from Vasquez's 9mm pistol had ripped through his aorta and his right lung, and he rapidly bled to death.
Rudy Giuliani
who was then in the midst of an abortive United States Senate campaign. His release of Dorismond's sealed juvenile delinquency record immediately after the shooting raised the ire of the African-American community as well as critics of the Mayor. The Mayor's office defended the release because the right to privacy does not survive an individual’s death.
Giuliani also pointed out that he only wanted to show that Dorismond was "no altar boy." In fact, Dorismond had attended the same Catholic school as Giuliani and had been an altar boy. Giuliani's actions became a hot-button issue in his Senate campaign against Hillary Clinton and cost him several points in the polls.
was a highly emotional affair, marred by clashes between thousands of protestors and the NYPD. 23 police officers were injured, and several protesters were arrested as well.
declined to indict Officer Vasquez in the death of Dorismond, announcing that they had found the shooting to be accidental.
released the song Bang! Bang! on their EP From the Desk of Mr. Lady as a critique of the incident. The song calls the police out on racial profiling. Kathleen Hanna
sings:
"Wrong fucking time
Wrong fucking place
There is no fucking way
This is not about race"
Immortal Technique
commented about the incident in the song The other white meat:
"Cops don't stop in searches, cause they think we a threat
They making money from the prison industrial complex
Extorting hookers for sex and then arresting them
And murdering people of color instead of protecting them
You killed Patrick Dorrismond and then disrespected him
Now most cops disagree with the shit that I spit,
But I got 41 reasons to tell you to suck a dick"
The officers claim the scuffle began when Dorismond became angry after they propositioned him, loudly declaring he was not a drug dealer. They state he threw a punch at a second officer and with his friend, Kevin Kaiser, began attacking him. Officer Vasquez said he came to his partner's aid, hearing one of the men yelling "Get his gun!", drew his weapon and identified himself as a police officer. He claimed Dorismond grabbed the gun causing it to discharge into his chest.
Dorismond's friend, Kevin Kaiser, claims that neither of the officers identified themselves. He says he attempted unsuccessfully to pull Dorismond back from the confrontation. He described the first undercover cop who had approached Dorismond as aggressive and “in their face.” Kaiser said it was one of the cops who initiated the fight, hitting Dorismond first.
An ambulance arrived on the scene within minutes of the shooting and Dorismond was transported to St. Clare's Hospital where attempts to resuscitate him proved futile. The single bullet from Vasquez's 9mm pistol had ripped through his aorta and his right lung, and he rapidly bled to death.
Reaction of Mayor Giuliani
Much of the controversy over the Dorismond shooting revolved around then-MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
who was then in the midst of an abortive United States Senate campaign. His release of Dorismond's sealed juvenile delinquency record immediately after the shooting raised the ire of the African-American community as well as critics of the Mayor. The Mayor's office defended the release because the right to privacy does not survive an individual’s death.
Giuliani also pointed out that he only wanted to show that Dorismond was "no altar boy." In fact, Dorismond had attended the same Catholic school as Giuliani and had been an altar boy. Giuliani's actions became a hot-button issue in his Senate campaign against Hillary Clinton and cost him several points in the polls.
Funeral
Dorismond's funeral in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
was a highly emotional affair, marred by clashes between thousands of protestors and the NYPD. 23 police officers were injured, and several protesters were arrested as well.
Grand Jury Investigation
On July 27, 2000 a grand juryGrand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
declined to indict Officer Vasquez in the death of Dorismond, announcing that they had found the shooting to be accidental.
Settlement with the City
On March 12, 2003 the City of New York agreed to pay the Dorismond family $2.25 million to settle a suit filed on behalf of the family.In Popular Culture
In 2000, the New York feminist band Le TigreLe Tigre
Le Tigre is an American electroclash band, formed by Kathleen Hanna and Johanna Fateman in 1998. It also featured Sadie Benning from 1998 until 2001, and JD Samson for the rest of the group's run...
released the song Bang! Bang! on their EP From the Desk of Mr. Lady as a critique of the incident. The song calls the police out on racial profiling. Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna is an American musician, feminist activist, and punk zine writer. In the early- to mid-1990s she was the lead singer and songwriter of Bikini Kill, before fronting Le Tigre in the late 1990s and early 2000s...
sings:
"Wrong fucking time
Wrong fucking place
There is no fucking way
This is not about race"
Immortal Technique
Immortal Technique
Felipe Andres Coronel , better known by the stage name Immortal Technique, is an American rapper of Afro-Peruvian descent as well as an urban activist. He was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Harlem, New York. Most of his lyrics focus on controversial issues in global politics...
commented about the incident in the song The other white meat:
They making money from the prison industrial complex
Extorting hookers for sex and then arresting them
And murdering people of color instead of protecting them
You killed Patrick Dorrismond and then disrespected him
Now most cops disagree with the shit that I spit,
But I got 41 reasons to tell you to suck a dick"