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New Rochelle resident Jerrel "Cee2" Garris, age 37, died on Monday, July 10 after spending a week in a coma at Westchester Medical Center following a shooting incident on Monday, July 3.
On the day of the incident, Garris was shot by New Rochelle Detective Steven Conn after he allegedly grabbed another officer's gun to try and remove it from the holster, according to authorities.
Officers had been confronting Garris on Lincoln Avenue near North Avenue after a nearby grocery store reported that he has stolen merchandise.
Now, following his death, many members of the New Rochelle community are remembering Garris as a man who was dedicated to taking care of his son, Jeremiah, as well as a son, brother, nephew, and cousin.
Additionally, many are coming together to raise money for Garris's family to pay for his funeral expenses. So far, more than $600 has been raised on a GoFundMe fundraiser started on Thursday, July 13 by Raymond Fowler.
On the fundraiser page, Fowler wrote that Garris "impacted the lives of all who knew him."
"To know him was to love him," Fowler continued. The fundraiser has an ultimate goal of raising $15,000 for Garris's funeral expenses.
Those wishing to contribute to the fundraiser can do so by clicking here.
In the aftermath of the shooting that led to Garris's death, many have spoken out about the incident, including Rep. Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) who in a statement, attributed it to police brutality.
"We must protect the Black bodies that are the most vulnerable and root out the police brutality that has spread to every corner of our country," Bowman said, adding that Garris suffered from schizophrenia.
Garris's family has also said that they are seeking justice for his death and urged New Rochelle officials to release the full body camera footage from the shooting.
The shooting is still under investigation by the New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation, which assesses every incident where a police officer may have caused the death of a person by an act or omission. The office investigates when an assessment determines that an officer may have caused the death, officials said.
New Rochelle city officials said that they would fully cooperate with the probe into the incident.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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