EAST NEW YORK, Brooklyn — An NYPD sergeant who shot a man in the face while off-duty was fired Friday, sources told PIX11.
NYPD Sergeant Ritchard Blake shot 21-year-old Thavone Santana in the mouth on August 2, near the intersection of New Jersey Avenue and Livonia Avenue, police said.
Blake initially claimed Santana attempted to rob him. Police later clarified that the incident was, in fact, not an attempted robbery, but a dispute and immediately placed the officer on modified duty.
Santana’s family and friends told PIX11 that the 40-year-old sergeant at the 109th precinct personally knows Thavone Santana and both might have been romantically involved with the same woman.
Sources also said the officer was in the area visiting his girlfriend at the time of the shooting.
NYPD’s decision to fire Blake comes after protesters marched in East New York last week, and the mother of Santana, Arrie Spencer, demanded justice and called for the dismissal and arrest of Sergeant Blake.
“We are happy the cop was fired but we want to make sure we get an indictment and we get a conviction and this cop is put in jail.” said community activist Chris Banks. “What he did to the East New York community what he did to this family was reprehensible and we are demanding complete justice.”
Thavone Satana continues to recover in the hospital at this time.
This is a developing story; check back for updates and get the PIX11 News app to stay informed all day.
