In the early hours of a Sunday morning in the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens, a family's call for help took a tragic and fatal turn. A 29-year-old man, Chez Fray, was shot and killed by a police officer inside his apartment building on Nameoke Street. The incident began when Fray's father called 911 to report that his son was behaving erratically after smoking weed and that they were having an altercation. He has since stated he was seeking assistance to de-escalate the situation, not to bring harm to his son.
When officers from the 101st Precinct arrived at the scene, they were met by Fray's parents. Together, they went to the apartment to find him, but he was not there. As they were leaving the apartment, they encountered Chez Fray in the hallway. According to the police, Fray was holding a box cutter. They state that he did not comply with multiple commands to drop the weapon and instead, charged at the officers. In response, one officer deployed a Taser, and another officer fired her gun, striking Fray. He was transported to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The officers involved were not physically harmed during the encounter.
The family of Chez Fray has vehemently disputed the police's account of the shooting. His parents, who were present during the incident, claim that one of the officers had advised against shooting. They maintain that their son was not a threat and that the situation was not handled in a way that prioritized preserving his life. Following the shooting, Chez Fray's father was taken into police custody and later released without charges, an action for which the police have not provided an explanation. The family, along with civil rights activists, has called for an independent investigation into the shooting by the New York Attorney General's office to bring clarity and justice to the tragic death of their son.
