A man who was shot by a detective in Westchester after allegedly resisting arrest is still alive in a hospital, police said, prompting a New York congressman to retract a claim that he had died.
New Rochelle resident Jerrel Garris, age 37, remains at Westchester Medical Center in critical condition after being shot by Detective Steven Conn in an incident on Monday, July 3, New York State Police Trooper Aaron Hicks said on Friday, July 7 around 2 p.m.
Although he remains alive in critical condition there according to police, New York Congressman Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), a Democrat, released a statement on Friday in which he said that Garris had died on Thursday night, July 6. Bowman later retracted the statement just after 3:30 p.m. on Friday.
"I am sending my deepest condolences to the friends and family of Jarrell Garris," Bowman said in the retracted statement, adding, "He should be alive today and back home in North Carolina with his son."
Bowman's office said later in the day that the statement was retracted once they learned Garris was still alive but had experienced brain death.
In the new statement released late Friday afternoon, Bowman also said that Garris suffers from schizophrenia, and called the shooting a "senseless" killing.
"Police brutality has been sickening our country and taking the lives of our loved ones for decades," Bowman added in his statement.
According to state police and New Rochelle Police, the incident happened around 4:30 p.m. on Monday when a grocery store in New Rochelle reported a theft to police and gave officers a description of the suspect.
Police then located a man matching this description, Garris, on Lincoln Avenue near North Avenue, and confronted him.
Garris was then shot by Conn with one round from his department-issued firearm after allegedly grabbing an officer's gun to try and remove it from the holster, authorities said.
Garris was taken to the hospital after the shooting for treatment.
The shooting, which New Rochelle Police released body camera footage of, is still under investigation by New York State Police and the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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