Delrawn Small's Death Probed By NYPD Oversight Board

NEW YORK — The Civilian Complaint Review Board is investigating the road-rage killing of Delrawn Small at the hands of an off-duty cop, a spokesperson for the police oversight agency confirmed Thursday. That means Officer Wayne Isaacs could possibly face disciplinary charges for the fatal July 2016 shooting.

Isaacs was acquitted of criminal charges in November 2017, more than a year after he killed an unarmed Small in Cypress Hills. But Small's sister, Victoria Davis, said CCRB staffers told her at a Thursday meeting that the board was looking into the case.

"I’m just thankful that they’re moving forward with it and they’re taking it seriously," Davis said outside the CCRB's Lower Manhattan office.

The CCRB spokesperson confirmed that the agency is investigating the case but could not say how long the probe has been going on.

Isaacs was accused of shooting Small three times near Atlantic Avenue and Bradford Street after allegedly cutting off the 37-year-old. Isaacs did not identify himself as a cop and just stood by while Small "stumbled from car to car trying to live," Davis said.

Isaacs reportedly testified that he shot Small in self-defense because Small punched him in the face and threatened to kill him. A Brooklyn jury found him not guilty of murder and manslaughter at trial.

But Isaacs could face disciplinary action depending on the outcome of the CCRB's investigation. If the agency finds he acted wrongly, it could recommend charges that would be heard in an administrative NYPD trial that could potentially lead to his firing.

"I still need for the department to hold Wayne Isaacs accountable, because killer cops should not be working in our streets patrolling our areas," Davis said.

In response to a request for comment on the CCRB probe, the NYPD said Isaacs is not currently facing department charges.

"Police Officer Wayne Isaacs was acquitted of criminal charges," the NYPD said in an email. "He is on active duty and he is not facing department charges."

Joining Davis outside the CCRB's offices was Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who died after Officer Daniel Pantaleo put him in a chokehold in July 2014. Carr said she also met with the board on Thursday.

Pantaleo's internal trial for the killing is slated to start in May — nearly five years after Garner's death. But Carr said she wants the other 12 officers who were involved in her son's death to be fired.

The NYPD has said it will proceed with a case against Sgt. Kizzy Adonis, who was a supervising officer on the scene of the Staten Island incident. But her trial has not yet been scheduled, Carr said.

"Some pounced on him. Some looked the other way. And then there were still others who filed false reports about what actually happened to my son," Carr said. "If not for the video, this would have been swept under the rug also."

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated when Officer Wayne Isaacs was acquitted of criminal charges. It was in November 2017, not October 2017.