April 17, 2016 / 3:09 PM. Those interviewed by the Advance outside the courtroom maintained"the 23-person grand jury contained only about two or three black people. We need to give all of the credit to the young people who organized these marches and rallies, who continually stressed the need to protest peacefully, who came, as they said, in peace and love, and who are committed to engaging in constructive dialogue, Corey told the Advance. John Mahoney and Officer Greg Gerson - are on desk duty pending the outcome of investigations by the district attorney and internal affairs. Other witnesses supplied by the family's lawyer said Mr. Sayon did not resist -- indeed, some said he was unconscious after being struck down -- and that Officer Brown, who like Mr. Sayon is black, hit Mr. Sayon several times on the head with the butt of his revolver while pressing his knee into the suspect's back. Donald Brown from Staten Island, NY. According to some who have spoken to witnesses, accounts on this matter vary and are not consistent. ga('ads.send', { The woman continued: "They don't know anything of what it's like to live in that neighborhood." Staten Island, NY 10301-1968: 2017: Currently registered: Jonathan David Chananie: Richmond County District Attorney: 130 Stuyvesant Pl Ste 7, Staten Island, NY 10301 . "The confrontation with Ernest Sayon involved police officers who knew him in the community very well as a dangerous man in a dangerous situation," the prosecutor said, noting that officers had wide latitude to use force in such a situation. Sayon died as the result of asphyxia by compression of the chest and neck while rear-handcuffed and prone on the ground, Chief Medical Examiner Charles Hirsch said. A coroner's report says that the cause of death was suffocation because of pressure on his chest and neck while he lay in a prone position with his hands handcuffed behind his back. Details of the incident were sketchy early this morning, but some neighborhood residents said that the man, identified as Ernest Sayon, was beaten by officers. But it apparently concluded that the officers had used reasonable force in subduing Mr. Sayon. },false) While the city autopsy labeled the death a medical homicide, it was up to the grand jury to decide whether it was a criminal homicide. In addition, she said she saw Police Officer John Searls standing by the scene telling the officers to stop. Witnesses continued to testify, including Larry Webb, 33, of Brooklyn, who told the grand jury that he was walking with Sayon and another witness, Louis Rodriguez, along Park Hill Avenue when a large firecracker exploded behind them. Discord was present in the early days that followed Sayons death, with nearly a dozen arrested and arraigned in early May after a single protest. Staten Island's Vietnam War Fallen . The Seahawks, led by first-year head coach Donald Copeland, play their home games at the Spiro Sports Center in Staten Island, New York as a member of the Northeast Conference . Mr. Caruso said the drug use may have been "a contributing factor. In this week's episode of Hulu's 'Wu-Tang: An American Saga', we see that story unfurl. Approximately 80 witnesses, many of who maintained they saw police beat and choke the 22-year-old Park Hill resident, were interviewed. Man's Death, https://www.nytimes.com/1994/12/09/nyregion/grand-jury-won-t-file-charges-against-police-in-si-man-s-death.html. There is no debate over the fact that officers from the 120th Precinct, organized into a Special Narcotics Emergency Unit, were continuing the drug sweeps that had, up to that point, resulted in 36 arrests. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Joseph Ostapiuk | jostapiuk@siadvance.com, not to pursue federal charges against the officer. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- On April 29, 1994, 22-year-old Ernest Sayon was killed by police officers during an arrest outside the Park Hill apartment buildings striking hauntingly similar chords. "The police officers behaved sensibly. "The drug problem is a serious one and so is prostitution," said the Rev. 'Did Good Things Here', Only a week or so before Mr. Sayon's death, one community leader, Crisida Howard, a member of the Tenants' Association, wrote a letter to the Police Commissioner, William J. Bratton, commending Officer Brown for his good work. $5,456/yr taxes 3 stories . A grand jury was then set to convene beginning on May 23, 1994. Accounts of Witnesses. In early June of 1994, a CCRB memorandum indicated said the officers involved in Sayons death did not have the legal authority to make the arrest. Brown has not returned messages left for him at the precinct. Donald Brown. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. (Staten Island Advance)Staten Island Advance. A 23-year-old Staten Island man died late yesterday after suffering a head injury during a struggle with a police officer in the Clifton neighborhood, the police said. Mr. Sayon, one of a large number of people on the street, started to run. . The official reports say the police heard a gunshot and tried to detain Sayon who resisted. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. The anger intensified after the city's chief medical examiner found that Mr. Sayon had suffocated because of pressure on his back, chest and neck while he lay prone with his hands cuffed behind him. 155 Palmer Ave, Staten Island, NY, 10302-2109. hitType: 'event', Staten Island District Attorney William L. Murphy, at the time, said the grand jury believed officers acted appropriately against "a very dangerous man in a very dangerous situation.''. Donald Moore Brown, age 60s, lives in Staten Island, NY. A "Take that knee" flyer hangs on the tree commemorating Ernest Sayon at 225 Park Hill Ave. killed during an arrest in Clifton's Park Hill section on April 12, 1994. Sayon was beaten by the police officers in front of many witnesses, and in the struggle that ensued, he died. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Mr. Caruso said Officer Brown believes he acted properly and that with so many witnesses offering condemning accounts, "we want the jurors to hear what the officer has to say, to be convinced of his innocence.". NEW YORK (AP) _ A drug suspect who died in police custody was killed while handcuffed and prone on the ground, the medical examiner said Monday in ruling the case a homicide. AllBiz Business . A 23-year-old Staten Island man died late yesterday after suffering a head injury during a struggle with a police officer in the Clifton neighborhood, the police said. ; A Death on Staten Island: 2 Paths Cross on Familiar Ground, https://www.nytimes.com/1994/05/15/nyregion/one-neighborhood-two-lives-special-report-death-staten-island-2-paths-cross.html. Mr. Sayon and his family were the first Africans to move into the neighborhood, and as an old hand, he helped more recent arrivals like Mr. Kadi learn how to fit in. But Officer Brown was much admired by many in Park Hill, who saw him as a model for other youth, a man from the neighborhood who avoided the pathologies of inner-city life and was doing good. Need help finding Donald? New Dorp High School. Donald was born September 14, 1941. The incident began when several officers from the 120th Precinct's Street Narcotics Enforcement Unit were staking out an area around an apartment complex at Park Hill Avenue and Sobol Court. The young Donald Brown was a favorite target of the Park Hill toughs who bullied him when he did venture out, Mr. Cruz said. Get home owner information, property tax, mortgage records and much more. They behaved appropriately. Cappadonna's 'Run' features lyrics like, "peep Marcel and Brown comin' around, dippin' the loco / run, if you ever got somethin' on you, son" and "Me and the god back to back 1-85 with the 4-5, survive that chase, / you took case, even though I remember ya face". "But the officer feels he's done nothing wrong and the lawyers feel his story will fortify the officer's credibility." It will be up to a grand jury to decide exactly what happened on that day, and in particular whether Officer Brown or other police officers are criminally responsible for Mr. Sayon's death. The School of Medicine is built upon the strong clinical and graduate medical education programs of Northwell, as well as the robust research and academic programs of both Hofstra . }) Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. However, a 23-person jury which only contained two to three black jurors began listening to dozens of witnesses in late May of 1994. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. I want justice. The officers directly connected with the incident, including Officer Donald Brown, 31; Sgt. },false) "I used to stop him on his scooter and say, 'Hey, Brown, you're not Robocop. She said she had just parked her car on Park Hill Avenue when she saw the commotion. }); This incident and Officer Brown is referred to in many of the Wu-Tang Clan's member's song. William L. Murphy, the District Attorney of Staten Island, began forming two grand juries yesterday, one to hear evidence only in Mr. Sayon's death. When police approached the three men, Webb said Rodriguez was handcuffed and another officer questioned Sayon. On Sunday, protestors gathered outside the Park Hill Apartments at the tree where Sayon died over 26 years ago and retraced those same steps. This business is not BBB . (Staten Island Advance/Jason Paderon), A Staten Island Advance article dated April 30, 1994, read: Accounts vary greatly regarding the death of Ernest Sayon, but the incident prompted angry Park Hill Apartments residents to march chanting through the streets to the 120th Precinct stationhouse in St. George.. John Miller, Deputy Police Commissioner for public information, said Officer Brown had drawn his gun because he believed a shot had been fired in the vicinity. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. The Medical Examiner's office would not comment. FEATURES. But that conclusion, he noted, did not necessarily imply legal culpability for murder. 345 Cole St, Staten Island, NY 10309, USA, New York (718) 984-4976. Abarca, Moses, Bellport, NY, 11713, Suffolk Abbett, Andrew B, Huntington, NY, 11743, Suffolk Abdallah, Thomasina, Brooklyn, NY, 11219, Kings Abdel Malek, George M . In the past, Donald has also been known as Donald J Brown and Donald J Brown. See Photos. Their job, legal experts told the Advance, was not to decide on guilt or innocence. Email addresses. window.googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotOnload', function(event) { Just before that though, she gives what is possibly the best dialogue on the show so far: "You call this a movement? "I understand people feel upset," Officer Brown told reporters after the verdict was announced. Then, the officers heard "a big explosion" in the area, said Detective Kim Royster, a police spokeswoman. Of the 23 jurors, 19 voted to clear them, one voted to charge Brown with manslaughter and one abstained. }); The death of Floyd, which resulted in charges of third-degree homicide and manslaughter to be filed against Chauvin, reopened unhealed wounds on Staten Island. Both Sayon and Brown are black. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Eventually, the police carried Mr. Sayon into a van and drove him to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. document.querySelector("#adunit").addEventListener('click',function(){ "Back home, he's got his own beach," said Ali Kadi, a cousin of Mr. Sayon. Donald Mcnair Brown, 66 Resides in Staten Island, NY Lived InPaterson NJ, Burlington NJ Related ToJacqueline Brown, Herrold Brown, Jadonna Brown Also known asD M Brown IncludesAddress(5) Phone(3) Email(1) See Results Donald L Brown, 56 Resides in Staten Island, NY Lived InNew York NY, Austin TX The neighborhood, mostly populated by African and Caribbean immigrants and American blacks, had been demanding more police protection against violent drug dealers. The same way Eric Garner, death by asphyxiation. A group of Curtis High School students honored black victims of violence including Staten Islander Eric Garner in chalk at the Forest Avenue entrance of Silver Lake Park. Donald Brown, age --, lives in Staten Island, NY. Several Advance reports cited vacations and conflicting schedules as grounds for the postponements. The property is 122 years old, which is 65 year older than the average age of a building in Staten Island 10304HUD says fair market rent for a 2-bedroom apartment in Richmond County is $2,053.