Community protests Nassau police officers involved in deadly Queens shooting

Demonstrators rallied outside Nassau police headquarters Tuesday evening to protest a deadly police-involved shooting in Queens.

News 12 Staff

Mar 11, 2020, 2:15 AM

Updated 1,744 days ago

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Demonstrators rallied outside Nassau police headquarters Tuesday evening to protest a deadly police-involved shooting in Queens.
Protesters demanded justice for Matthew Felix, a 19-year-old carjacking suspect who was fatally shot by Nassau police officers on a Queens street last month.
Matthew Felix's mother said her son's death is another example of how black people are mistreated with impunity by law enforcement.
"My son was loved by a lot of people and he was taken from me by racist Nassau PD cops who can go around shooting people with immunity and this must end now," said Guerlyne Felix.
Nassau police say Matthew Felix was wanted in connection with a Garden City Park carjacking on Feb. 25 and officers tracked him to his Cambria Heights home that afternoon. After a brief pursuit, officers opened fire, killing Felix.
At a news conference following the shooting, Commissioner Patrick Ryder did not provide an explanation for why the officers fired, saying, "Our officers were faced with circumstances that resulted in the use of deadly physical force."
Matthew Felix's family, clergy and community activists are demanding answers and action.
"Commissioner Ryder, we're calling on you to fire all of the Nassau County police officers that illegally went over that borderline in Queens and killed Matthew Felix," said Pastor Arthur Mackay.
In response to the protest, a Nassau police spokesperson issued a statement saying, "This case is being investigated by the Office of the New York State Attorney General and they have our fullest cooperation."
Matthew Felix's supporters say they won't rest until the officers involved in the fatal shooting are off the force.