Two police officers who entered the apartment of a Bronx man and fatally shot him after he jumped toward them while holding a knife will not be disciplined, the NYPD said Friday.

The NYPD announced Friday that Commissioner Edward Caban determined the officers “acted within the law” in the 2019 shooting death of 32-year-old Kawaski Trawick and that “no crime was committed by the officers.”


What You Need To Know

  • Two police officers who entered the apartment of a Bronx man and fatally shot him after he jumped toward them while holding a knife will not be disciplined, the NYPD said Friday

  • Kawaski Trawick’s death sparked outrage from advocates who questioned why police did not deescalate the situation

  • In a statement, Trawick's parents said it was “disgusting and shameful” to make the decision two days before the five-year anniversary of the shooting

Surveillance and NYPD body camera video captured the deadly confrontation between Trawick and the officers.

Authorities said Trawick was shocked with a Taser. He was later shot by Police Officer Brendan Thompson after he rushed at the officers with a knife, according to authorities.

Officers had responded to Trawick's apartment after there were complaints he had been acting erratically in the building, according to authorities.

The officers can be heard on video telling Trawick to put a knife down that he was holding. Trawick can be heard saying on video that he had the knife because he was cooking.

Trawick’s death sparked outrage from advocates who questioned why police did not deescalate the situation.

To mark the upcoming anniversary, advocates and the family gathered on Wednesday to demand the firing of the officers, not knowing an announcement by the NYPD was imminent.

In a statement, Trawick's parents said it was “disgusting and shameful” to make the decision two days before the five-year anniversary of the shooting.

“Not firing the police who murdered my son in 112 seconds in his home is disgraceful and the fact that [Mayor] Adams didn’t even let my family know of the decision before making it public is the height of disrespect,” Ellen and Rickie Trawick wrote.

“Thompson and Davis broke into my son’s home and murdered him within seconds, without even attempting to administer aid. They should have already been fired but Mayor  Adams and the NYPD don't seem to care about protecting New Yorkers from cops who kill,” the family added.

Family attorney Royce Russell said in a statement that the police commissioner “failed to address the issues which are in his jurisdiction and that is the failure for the officers abiding by the patrol guidelines and the discipline for that failure.”

“It is undisputed had police officers Thompson and Davis followed the police patrol guidelines, Kawaski would be alive today,” Russell’s statement goes on to say.

“Once they tased and shot Kawaski, who was not a threat, they didn’t even render aid," Jawanza Williams, the managing director of organizing for VOCAL-NY, said.

Williams, who has worked with the family and advocated for the officers to be disciplined and fired, said they were blindsided by the announcement.

“It’s incredibly infuriating, it’s heartbreaking and I think this coming out on Friday near 5 p.m. is also insulting," he said.

Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark previously declined to bring criminal charges against the officers, and an internal NYPD force investigation found no wrongdoing.