On an evening in April 2019, 32-year-old Kawaski Trawick, a Black personal trainer and dancer, found himself in a fatal encounter with police inside his own apartment in the Bronx, New York. The tragic chain of events began when Trawick, who lived in a supportive housing facility, called 911 after getting locked out of his apartment while food was cooking. Firefighters responded and let him back into his home.
However, the building's superintendent and a security guard later placed their own calls to 911, reporting that Trawick was banging on neighbors' doors with a serrated bread knife and a broomstick, with the guard telling dispatchers he was 'losing his mind'.
Two NYPD officers, Herbert Davis and Brendan Thompson, were dispatched to the scene. Upon arriving at Trawick's apartment, they found the door ajar. Inside, Trawick was distressed and holding the knife and stick. He repeatedly asked the officers why they were in his home, to which they responded by repeatedly demanding he drop the knife. Trawick explained that he had the knife because he was cooking. The interaction, which lasted less than two minutes, quickly escalated.
Officer Thompson first deployed his Taser on Trawick, causing him to fall. After the Taser's cycle ended, Trawick got back up, reportedly enraged and yelling at the officers to leave. As he moved towards them, still holding the knife, Officer Thompson fired his gun four times, striking Trawick twice. His partner, Officer Davis, had reportedly told Thompson not to use force and had even briefly pushed his gun down. Following the shooting, neither officer rendered immediate medical aid; instead, the apartment door was closed as Trawick bled out on the floor.
In the aftermath of the shooting, both the Bronx District Attorney's Office and an internal NYPD investigation cleared the officers of any criminal wrongdoing. The Bronx DA's office stated that while the death was tragic, they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the shooting was unjustified. Consequently, no arrests were made, and no criminal charges were filed against either Officer Davis or Officer Thompson.
Despite the lack of criminal prosecution, the Civilian Complaint Review Board a police oversight agency, substantiated misconduct charges against both officers, including for the use of improper force and failure to render aid. This led to a departmental disciplinary trial. However, in April 2024, the NYPD Commissioner announced that neither officer would face any disciplinary action, stating that they had acted within the law. This final decision sparked outrage from Trawick's family and community advocates, who had long called for the officers to be fired.
