Noel Polanco, 22, was shot by a police officer in October. His family is calling for a federal probe. (Facebook/Noel Polanco)
Two days after a grand jury decided not to indict a police officer who shot and killed an unarmed National Guardsman last year, the family of Noel Polanco is now calling on federal prosecutors to review the case.
Polanco’s family, along with their attorneys, spoke at the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network in Harlem on Saturday criticizing the grand jury’s decision, the New York Post reports.
Polanco, 22, was killed on Oct. 4 when he was shot by Det. Hassan Hamdy on the Grand Central Parkway near LaGuardia Airport.
Police said Polanco had been pulled over for driving recklessly. Hamdy’s lawyer has stated that Polanco did not put his hands up as directed, and that Hamdy believed Polanco was reaching for a gun under his seat. No weapons were found in the vehicle.
An attorney for the family stated that in addition to asking the feds to start their own investigation, the family will also take steps towards a civil lawsuit against the city, the Post reported.
