Bronx community gathers to protest the shooting of Dominican Raul De la Cruz

The De la Cruz family is Dominican, and Raul arrived in the Bronx 14 years ago.

Today community members gathered outside the 52nd precinct on Webster Avenue in the Bronx and demanded the NYPD release the names of the two police officers who shot Raul De la Cruz on March 26.

The 42-year-old is schizophrenic, and his father, Santo De la Cruz, called 311 and asked for assistance, urging that police not be involved. He was worried his son would be shot or killed.

The two officers sent shot his son six times. He is currently recovering at St. Barnabas Hospital.

Today's action was organized by members of Dare to Struggle, "a multinational organization open to anyone who wants to resist and stop injustice no matter who holds political office."

I learned about the event on Instagram from the grassroots collective, Take Back the Bronx.

The rally MCs were Dare members Adrian and Artie. There were about a dozen sign holders, and a woman walked around with a clipboard and invited people to write down contact information.

The action began across the street from the precinct. Two of Raul's brothers spoke. The De la Cruz family is Dominican, and Raul arrived in the Bronx 14 years ago. Dare members translated for all the Spanish speakers.

All of the community members who spoke were Dominican and shared their rage and sadness.

One of Raul's young cousins and several Dominican women elders spoke. Many cried. They called the police abusers and demanded they look at the community's suffering squarely.

One of the elders repeatedly yelled, "abusadores!"

Another demanded other methods to respond to people experiencing mental health episodes, reminding the police that Santo's call to emergency services asked for non-violent de-escalation and a Spanish speaker because his son had schizophrenia. "Lo que tiran e' a mata. Porque hoy en dia, el amor de la persona se te terminando. La vida no eta’ importando…Queremos otros metodos para la personas que tienen problemas mentales.”

It was an emotional and hypervigilant space. There is collective grief here. There is frustration, anger, and power.

The Bronx now has the highest rates of Dominicans, and the borough is hungry, unhoused, and failed by the city.

On top of these emergencies, the NYPD continues to surveil and gun us down.

The community and family members described how much they miss Raul, his kindness, his faith. They are enraged that his body and life are disposable—he was shot six times in 28 seconds—to police that continue to be encouraged and empowered by the state.

The community is strong and protected itself today, especially when police officers attempted to entice one of Raul's brothers into the precinct without his lawyer present.

Several camera operators and anchors were present for today's rally, including a News12 Brooklyn and NY1. Once they cleared out, the community also left, not wanting to be left around officers without cameras to record.

Community members protected family members and each other on their walks back home.