In the early morning hours of September 7, 2012, the life of 20-year-old Reynaldo Cuevas was tragically cut short in the Bronx, New York. Of Hispanic descent, the young man was working at his uncle's bodega, Aneurys Deli Grocery on Franklin Avenue, when three armed men stormed in, initiating a robbery. Cuevas, a father who was saving money to bring his young daughter from the Dominican Republic to New York, found himself in a terrifying situation.
The robbers, later identified as Orlando Ramos, Ernesto Delgado, and Christopher Dorsey, held Cuevas and his uncle at gunpoint.
As police responded to a silent alarm, the robbers attempted to flee to the back of the store. Seizing the opportunity to escape, Cuevas and his uncle ran out the front door. Outside, a police officer, Ramysh Bangali, was positioned with his gun drawn. In the chaotic moments that followed, Cuevas collided with the officer. The impact caused the officer's weapon to discharge, and a single bullet struck Cuevas in the shoulder. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead.
The three men responsible for the robbery were apprehended at the scene. They were subsequently charged with murder under the felony murder rule, which holds individuals responsible for a death that occurs during the commission of a felony, in addition to robbery and weapons possession charges. Eventually, all three pleaded guilty to robbery. Christopher Dorsey, who was 17 at the time of the crime, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Ernesto Delgado received a 13-year prison sentence, and Orlando Ramos was sentenced to 17 years.
The officer who fired the fatal shot, Ramysh Bangali, was not criminally charged. The Bronx District Attorney's office determined that there was no criminal wrongdoing on the officer's part, and the shooting was deemed accidental. The Cuevas family, devastated by their loss, filed a $25 million wrongful death lawsuit against the city and the NYPD. They expressed their anguish and frustration with a system they felt had failed to deliver full justice for Reynaldo's death.
