Police Investigate Murder Of Rising Roller Blader

Several days ago our community suffered another homicide. It occurred on Prospect Place near Classon Avenue. One community resident voiced frustration by asking what Eric Adams intended to do about the increase in crime.

Consider that question for a moment, and while you are reflecting, let me share a significant detail with you. The shooting took place only doors from my own home. I live on Prospect Place. In fact, I have resided there for about twenty years.

When I first moved onto the block, few dared walk down it, and living there was a perilous option. However, a few of us resolved that we would not turn over our street to thugs. We organized, and we fought to take our community back.

One clear lesson was learned: if we wanted to live on a safe block, we had to build a safe city. Our communities do not have either real or imaginary demarcation lines, and criminals do not confine themselves to one geographic area. Thugs don’t care whom they harm or where they commit their crimes.

I know this well because 22 years of my life were spent wearing a bulletproof vest, standing on street corners to protect our city from those who wanted to harm the decent people who make up its neighborhoods. I did this both as a cop and as a private citizen.

Many are aware of the numerous volunteer hours that I have given and will continue to give to anti-violence measures.

If we want safe communities, we will have to build them, not blog them. No neighborhood can be safe if the only proffered solution is to look for a politician or the police to do it for us. Just as there are prerequisites for being a responsible elected official, there are also requirements for being a conscientious citizen.

It takes teamwork to make a community safe. I know first hand, because I was a member of such a team in this neighborhood. If you are interested in uniting with me in an effort to make our streets and homes safe, I ask you to attend an emergency meeting (see below for venue and time).

There is no courage in staying at home and blogging about our complaints. Bravery involves facing down the thuggery that can destroy our community. I anticipate your partnership in making our district safe for raising children and families.

Best

Eric

NYS Senator

Meeting 1

Monday, October 19, 2009

7pm - 8:30pm

Hope City Empowerment Center

650 Washington Avenue (between Bergen & Dean Street)

OR

Meeting 2

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

7pm - 8:30pm

District Office (572 Flatbush Avenue near Midwood Street)

@matukonyc I think you need to go eat a dick right about now. This boy was my friend and a good skater at that. Rollerblading and Skateboarding are two different cultures. There is no way that you can compare our sport to that band wagon of a sport that people refer to as skateboarding. Self expression can be seen through many mediums and, I feel that stupid pricks like yourself, which have nothing better to do than come knock on someones interests now that they're dead need to find something better to do. This kid passed away on the floor of a kennedy fried chicken spot. Who the fuck do you think you are? This is exactly why I hate the internet but then again.. here I am. Don't even bother replying ass wipe.

You know what's "wicked lame?" Self-righteous young people who think roller-skating (and skateboarding) are forms of self-expression just because you can waste endless hours of precious life practicing "moves" or whatever.

@matukonyc I presume you have some better activity that isn't a waste of time? What like painting, dancing, poetry, or some other classic notion of what self expression is?

You know what's wicked lame, you trying to define self expression in a city like New York. Seriously one of the most diverse open-minded cities in the world and you're attempting to define what is acceptable?

Whatever alternative you have for self-expression isn't better than anything else, after all isn't everything a waste of time when you think about it....we're all going to pass away like Brian one day, what will you the world remember you by a couple cut-downs on an internet message board?

Good luck living your point-less exsistance Leslie.

You're being ridiculous. I don't skate but even I say as long as they respect property and don't bother others, there's no harm to the activity. However, if they buzz pedestrians, make a racket in quiet settings or grind where they shouldn't, I'd be more than happy if they were arrested.

@ann0yed your ignorance is wicked lame, nice try with your sympathy and insult in the same sentence.

For those of us who want to do something individual and amazing for a recreational sport rollerblading gives us something our own that allows self expression and we're just fine with the fact that the fad of the 90s is over and there aren't millions of people in florescent spandex

doing it anymore.

See the link below for what modern rollerblading is. You can't deny this stuff.....this is not "wicked lame" by any stretch of the imagination:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RaBAy6FQ2Y

The place where this happened is on Parkside Avenue, not Flatbush Avenue. Around the corner from my apartment building...

What's important to the NYPD is not stopping crime, but keeping the crime rate down. It may seem like a subtle distinction, but it manifests in everything from discouraging victims from reporting crimes; to, as it looks like Kelly is doing here, downgrading a homicide to manslaughter.

It's sad he had to die, but rollerblading is wicked lame.