8 THE QUEENS COURIER • JULY 30, 2020 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
Cambria Heights teen who was fatally shot by
Nassau police remembered with candlelight vigil
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
cmohamed@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Friends and family members in
Cambria Heights held a candlelight vigil
on Th ursday, July 23, in remembrance of
19-year-old Matthew Felix, who was shot
and killed by a Long Island police offi cer
in southeast Queens in February.
Th e families were gathered at the
intersection of 217th Street and Linden
Boulevard to support the Felix family as
they said a prayer and released 19 balloons
— one for every year Felix
was alive — while also raising
awareness of police gun violence
and senseless gun violence
in communities.
It’s been five months
since Matthew’s death and
his family is calling on
New York State Attorney
General Letitia James
for justice and demanding
that Nassau County
police offi cers be held
accountable.
“I want the
Nassau police commissioner
to know
that I’m not going
to stand for the lies
and the coverups.
My brother was
unarmed,” Felix’s
sister said. “Th e
Nassau Police
Dep ar t ment
was out of
their jurisdiction;
they
did not notify
the NYPD
that they
were here. All
they’ve been
doing is playing a game of coverup.”
Felix was named an alleged carjacking
suspect while Nassau County police offi -
cers were trying to place him under arrest
outside of his Cambria Heights home in
February, according to reports.
Aft er meeting a person who was selling
a Mercedes on Jericho Turnpike in
Garden City Park, Felix allegedly put a
gun to the victim’s head, stole the vehicle,
and drove it home.
Nassau’s Th ird Squad detectives tracked
Felix to his home, surveilled the residence,
and elite Bureau of Special Operations
offi cers were tasked with taking him into
custody when the shooting occurred.
“Th ey gave him no chance to come out
of his car — without warning, they shot
up his vehicle,” Felix’s sister said. “He was
dead on the scene, and they left his lifeless
body on the street as if it were an animal
or roadkill.”
Th roughout the investigation, the Felix
family said they have not received information
as to what actually occurred on
that fateful day between Felix and the
police offi cers.
Th e family is demanding information
on the names of the Nassau County police
offi cers and their names, unedited footage
of the shooting, and a thorough, transparent
investigation.
Photos by Dean Moses
“We are still fi ghting for justice not only
for Matthew — but for anyone who was
ever mistreated, racially profi led or whose
life ended shortly just because of the color
of their skin. Th is is going to be a long battle,”
a family member said.
A mother who lost her son to gun violence
implored her neighbors to stand up and
make strides to take back their community.
“Our pain deepens more than the
wounds that we lit. On Aug. 8, I’m going
to have to pull myself together — because
that would be my son’s birthday — just so
I can live another moment without him,”
she said. “We can’t aff ord to lose another
child, husband or friend.”
New York City Public Advocate
Jumaane Williams, who announced his
proposal for curbing gun violence in the
fi ve boroughs, said in order to prevent
such tragedies it’s important to speak
about accountability, transparency and
reframing what is public safety.
“I see people here who have lost their
loved ones to police gun violence and
families here who have lost their loved
ones to civilian gun violence,” Williams
said. “Th ese communities are dealing with
trauma on every level and people have a
right to ask for better policing and safer
streets at the same time.”
Additional reporting by Dean Moses.
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams
A candlelight vigil was held in remembrance of Matthew Felix.
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