Barry Deloatch
Encyclopedia
Barry "Gene" Deloatch was a resident of New Brunswick, New Jersey
, who was fatally shot by police in the early morning of September 22, 2011. The circumstances of his death generated significant controversy, leading to a series of high-profile resident protests and an investigation by the Middlesex County
Prosecutor.
Deloatch worked at New Brunswick High School
as security officer and maintenance staff. He was planning to marry his long-time girlfriend in January 2012.
Support to the protestors has come from national civil rights
organizations such as the National Action Network
and NAACP. The Latino Leadership Alliance has requested to present the case before grand jury
. Al Sharpton
called for the ACLU to investigate.
Deloatch's funeral was held on October 8, and it was marked an additional "Day of Outrage" protest. On October 24, another major protest was held at Feaster park.
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
, who was fatally shot by police in the early morning of September 22, 2011. The circumstances of his death generated significant controversy, leading to a series of high-profile resident protests and an investigation by the Middlesex County
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
Prosecutor.
Deloatch worked at New Brunswick High School
New Brunswick High School
New Brunswick High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in New Brunswick, in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the New Brunswick Public Schools....
as security officer and maintenance staff. He was planning to marry his long-time girlfriend in January 2012.
The incident
Officers approached Deloatch and two other men around 12:12 AM near the intersection of Throop Avenue and Handy Street. Deloatch fled into a nearby alley and two police officers followed. He was shot twice in the back. Deloatch had no firearm, but the officers claimed "the suspect was attempting to hit us with a wooden stick". Deloatch was pronounced dead at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital at 12:37 AM.The officers
Brad Berdel was reportedly the shooter, and his partner was Dan Mazan. The two were subject of nine internal affairs investigations over their careers, with allegations ranging from "demeanor complaints" to "excessive force", and one complaint of "differential treatment" came from a fellow police officer. The two of them were also involved in 10 use-of-force incidents in 2010 (above the department average of five), with 80 percent of them involving black or Latino men. Berdel was one of very few officers to have kicking, uses of chemical spray and use of hands or fists cited in complaints.Protests
The community response began with a protest of about 100 people outside City Hall the day following the shooting. Protests continued on a daily basis, including marches down George Street that disrupted commuter traffic.Support to the protestors has come from national civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
organizations such as the National Action Network
National Action Network
The National Action Network is a not-for-profit, civil rights organization founded by the Reverend Al Sharpton in New York City, New York, in early 1991....
and NAACP. The Latino Leadership Alliance has requested to present the case before grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
. Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
called for the ACLU to investigate.
Deloatch's funeral was held on October 8, and it was marked an additional "Day of Outrage" protest. On October 24, another major protest was held at Feaster park.