On June 22, Vigilante Christopher Bouchard was arrested and only charged with reckless endangerment for mowing down 19 year old Keenan King and 20 year old Anthony Holmes-Garriques in Suffolk County Long Island. Bouchard claims he believed the bikes to have been stolen and pursued the two despite calling the police first to report the stolen bikes. Witnesses reported seeing Bouchard driving at lea
st 100 mph into oncoming traffic to have a full-on collision with the two young men, killing King on the spot and injuring Holmes-Garriques who died in the hospital. Witnesses also reported Bouchard and his brother, after killing King, attempted to load the bikes into their pickup truck to speed off. To sum up these events as a matter of simple “depraved indifference” is absurd. It is clear that Bouchard and his brother must be held accountable for the murder of these two young men. Bouchard’s brother, despite being in the car alongside him, was not charged with anything. If Bouchard is only given a slap on the wrist, it will be just another way for the justice system to say that Black lives do not matter. Bouchard was only charged with reckless endangerment — a charge that is often given to drunk drivers, not those who murder in cold blood. The family and their supporters are demanding that the charges be increased to murder and that Bouchard’s brother be indicted as an accomplice. Keenan and Anthony could have easily been your children, your neighbors, your peers. Keenan was only 19 years old when he lost his life to racist violence. We demand justice for Keenan and Anthony! The Justice for Keenan and Anthony Coalition has these the following demands for the Suffolk County DA:
1. A meeting with Keenan and Anthony's parents immediately
2. The charges must be increased to reflect premeditation
3. Subpoena any and all social media evidence that indicates premeditation
