Scott Morris and the Case of Ramarley Graham
Updated: Jul 13, 2020
In this post we discuss key information regarding Ramarley Graham's death in 2012 and the aftermath leading to Scott Morris's impact on the Cold Spring community today.
We have done through research on this topic and encourage additional reading.
Who was Ramarley Graham and how did he die?
Ramarley was a teenager from the Bronx NY. On February 2, 2012, NYPD Officer Richard Haste followed Graham home from a bodega. He then unlawfully and forcefully entered Graham’s family home. Once inside, Haste shot and killed the unarmed 18-year-old in front of his grandmother and 6-year-old brother. Officer Haste did not have a warrant or any legal right to enter his home.
What were the consequences of this case? How does Scott Morris fit in?
While Officer Richard Haste fired the shot that killed Graham, many police officers were found to be complacent in his murder.
Officer Richard Haste faced departmental charges for this incident. In March of 2017, Richard Haste quit after being found guilty in an administrative trial.[1] He was not the only member of the NYPD to face departmental charges. Notably, Sergeant Scott Morris who had been Haste’s supervisor on the scene also faced departmental charges, his being failure to notify police communications and failure to supervise members during a police incident.[3] Additionally, Morris faced intense criticism from the Firearm Discharge Review Board due to his lack of ability to direct his officers. “The FDRB report indicates that Sergeant Morris ‘exercised poor tactical judgment,’ ‘failed to supervise his subordinates,’ and ‘violated SNEU procedural and training guidelines.’”[2] In December 2017, Morris resigned. Due to the circumstances of his resignation, he did not receive the standard “good-guy” letter that would have allowed him to carry a firearm in retirement.[4]
Who is Scott Morris in our community?
In December of 2019, The Board of Trustees unanimously hired Scott Morris to the Cold Spring Police Department, according to Mayor Dave Merandy, who presides over the board, they knew of Morris’s history and still found him fit to serve our community.
So why does this matter?
Scott Morris’s admittance to the CSPD shows a lack of understanding from local officials of the racially charged undercurrent of this case. Being Cold Spring is a predominantly white neighborhood, it is possible that the racial profiling of Ramarley Graham did not even fit into their decision making. One could argue, however, this is precisely the problem. This decision, whether intentional or not, contributes to the systemic racism present in our institutions today by ignoring that Ramarley Graham's death was a racially charged murder. This was a murder that Morris was in-part held responsible for by the NYPD, the FDRB, and Graham’s family due to his lack of ability to do his job.
The following are Ramarley Graham’s mother Constance Malcolm’s statements regarding Scott Morris :
During his resignation, “I’m glad Sergeant Morris will be off the force within a month.” (https://thechiefleader.com/news/news_of_the_week/forced-retirement-for-sgt-in-teen-s-killing/article_3dd3f37c-daab-11e7-98a7-53d0a16556dc.html)
“I hold that whole team responsible” [1:35]
What is Next?
On June 9, 2020, Officer Scott Morris indicated to Mayor Dave Merandy that he intended to resign. We now await his official paper resignation. Morris’s resignation was progress in addressing the cracks in our institutions as well as our prejudices and complacency as a community. But the work does not stop here. We must take this momentum to ask the local government why Scott Morris was deemed a good fit for Cold Spring, and why Morris served on the CSPD for six months without the public being aware of his history––a question we must also ask ourselves. The national discussion on racism is important. Cold Spring has taken a stand against racism and prejudice. Let's continue our history of evolving for the better and hold our institutions and ourselves accountable.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bibliography
Haag, Matthew, and Ashley Southall. “Officer Who Killed Ramarley Graham Leaves New York Police Department.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 27 Mar. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/03/27/nyregion/ramarley-graham-nypd-richard-haste.html.
Postmaster. “Action Urged on NYPD Officers in Graham CaseSe Exhorta Acción Sobre Los Oficiales Del NYPD.” The Bronx Free Press, 5 Feb. 2018, thebronxfreepress.com/action-urged-on-nypd-officers-in-graham-casese-exhorta-accion-sobre-los-oficiales-del-nypd/.
Rayman, Graham. “Two Bronx Cops Punished for Roles in Ramarley Graham Shooting.” Two Bronx Cops Punished for Roles in Ramarley Graham Shooting | Communities United for Police Reform, 22 Dec. 2017, www.changethenypd.org/media/two-bronx-cops-punished-roles-ramarley-graham-shooting.
Toor, Mark. “Forced Retirement For Sgt. in Teen's Killing.” The Chief, 3 Jan. 2018, thechiefleader.com/news/news_of_the_week/forced-retirement-for-sgt-in-teen-s-killing/article_3dd3f37c-daab-11e7-98a7-53d0a16556dc.html.