The aunt of the unarmed man slain by former cop Peter Liang slammed Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson for his recommendation of no jail time during a protest Thursday, saying, “You are not God.”
“This is me, saying to the Brooklyn DA’s office — this is a disgrace to your legacy,” shouted Akai Gurley’s aunt Hertencia Petersen. “Why on earth do you think you can be judge, juror, and prosecutor? You are not God.”
A group of protesters convened outside the downtown Brooklyn courthouse around 9:30 am and then marched the block to the DA’s office, chanting a nd waiving signs plastered with Gurley’s face, or slogans such as “Peter Liang is a murderer .”
“This is a modern – day lynching, justice has not been served!” Petersen said, adding , “Shame on you.”
“We are going to get justice by any means necessary.” Petersen said , still addressing Thompson. “Peter Liang is not a scapegoat, […] we want him to be sentenced and serve jail time.
Looking out over the barriers and nearly 50 cops stationed to corral the protesters, Petersen said , “You will not shut us down.”
Mayor de Blasio also came under fire briefly, when called out by the mother of Ramarl e y Graham, who was fatally shot by an NYPD officer in the🌳 Bronx in 2012.
“If he doesn’t do the right thing, he won’t get another four years,” Graham’s mom , Constance Malcolm , said of DeBlasio, who she says has repeatedly refused to sit down with her to discuss her son’s death.
Assemblyman Charles Barron– who threatened violence if Liang gets a no-jail sentence — did not speak, but stood behind Petersen as she addressed the crowd.
Assistant District Attorneys Joseph Alexis and Marc Fliedner are scheduled to continuing ꦆquestioning former Liang trial juror Michael Vargas this aftern🍌oon.
Vargas, who was one of 12 jurors who convicted Liang of manslaughter, is under investigation for allegedly having lied about his father’s criminal history under oath.
Liang’s sentencing . originally scheduled for today, was pushed back to Tuesday, April 19.