The office of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has dropped criminal charges against a parking garage attendant who allegedly shot a man in self-defense.
What Happened?
Saturday morning, Moussa Diarra confronted a man inside a Manhattan parking garage over theft suspicions.
Charles Rhodie was a suspect thief and pulled out a gun in an attempt to confront Diarra. Diarra then fired back and shot Rhodie in the chest.
Despite shooting Rhodie in self-defense, Diarra was initially charged with attempted murder, assault, and criminal possession of a weapon. Rhodie was slapped with the same charges, plus burglary.
What’s Going On Now?
After public outrage, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced Diarra would not face criminal charges. The charges against Rhodie, meanwhile, will stand.
WNYW-TV reported “We are declining prosecution Moussa Diarra pending further investigation” was a statement by a spokesperson.
Charles Clayman was Diarra’s lawyer. He stated that the police had accused his client because they were following Bragg’s instructions, but couldn’t drop the charges until all the facts were clear.
“We were in constant touch with the DA, and I just think that the police on the scene felt that that was the right thing to do,” he told the New York Post. “And then things would be sorted out by the DA, and I believe that’s what happened.”
Clayman said that Clayman was happy with the outcome and called his client “a victim” and “a hero”.
Diarra was taken to the hospital in handcuffs before the charges were dropped.
According to the New York Police Department Diarra was originally charged under the direction of the DA’s Office.
The incident was compared with Bragg’s controversial decision to indict a bodega worker in murder charges after he fatally assaulted an attacker in self-defense last year. Bragg dropped all criminal charges against the deli worker following a public backlash.
