Those suffering from police violence need more answers to honor memory of those they lost

Christin was a loving and devoted member of our family. He was not just a loving son, but also a brother, father, cousin, uncle, and much more—he was our anchor. His siblings and cousins remember him as a friend and protector, someone who was always there when you needed him. To his lifelong partner, Jo, Christin was a best friend and travel companion. He prioritized spending quality time with his children, taking them on adventures and creating lasting memories. And to me, his mother, he was my only child, whom I loved and will miss dearly. But the hardest part is knowing that Christin’s children — his four young kids — are left without their father.

Unfortunately, many families across the five boroughs are in a similar situation heading into the holidays, forced to look at the empty chair across the table—brought on by police violence and the rush law enforcement harbors to use deadly force at first impulse.

With every NYPD fatal shooting, the Department tries to spin what happened, omit unfavorable facts, all to flatten the perspective of the person whose life they had just taken.

The reporters write and publish their stories and move on to the next piece, but what never stays in the news cycle is the everlasting trauma that a family and community must endure due to on act of violence by those who were meant to protect and serve.

Christin’s death was preventable. NYPD officers at the scene initially claimed that Christin pointed a gun at a police officer prior to the shooting, later publicly stating instead that he pointed a gun at a bystander. Both the surveillance and body-worn camera footage reveal that these contradictory claims were unfounded.

According to the autopsy report, Christin was shot at least six times, and at least one bystander was also shot by NYPD officers. NYPD gunfire also caused damage to a bodega and a nearby apartment building. A business owner stated that five bullets came through the front of the store’s glass door, forcing him to hide behind a counter because “bullets were coming in everywhere.” There are no allegations that anyone fired a weapon other than NYPD officers.

How is this acceptable, especially for a department that prides itself on being ‘the gold standard’ of policing nationwide? Why did this happen? What could have been done differently? Was this lethal use of force necessary? We must demand more from the police and from the elected officials in power who shield them from any accountability.

The epidemic of police violence, especially in communities of color, is not something we should normalize. Every police killing must come with transparency, compassion, and respect for the broken family left to pick up the pieces, mourning the future that was taken from them.
We just celebrated Thanksgiving without Christin, and the pain of his absence will only grow heavier this month leading up to Christmas and New Years. But I will take this time to celebrate his life, his legacy, and hoping that one day we’ll receive some semblance of justice for a promising life that was cut too short.

For all the other families impacted by police violence and reeling from the loss of a loved one this holiday season, I am there with you in spirit, and we share this bond—one that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone—but one that strengthens our resolve to fight for answers and demand more in memory of the loved ones we’ve lost.