Good afternoon and welcome back to Breaking Bronx. Weather: Sunshine! High of about 41, then its going to be much colder tonight. Here are the Bronx stories we’re following today.
The Andrew Freedman Home, the stately manor on the Grand Concourse near Concourse Village, was once a home for elderly down-and-out aristocrats, but had fallen into disrepair after its endowment ran out in the early 1980s. Now it’s being revitalized by a nonprofit group, Mid-Bronx Senior Citizen’s Council, which runs programs in the home’s basement. A temporary art exhibit is coming as well as a bed and breakfast. In a larger sense, Mid-Bronx wants to use the site as a job training center.
Bronx State Assemblyman Eric Stevenson held a news conference Sunday along with the parents of families of Ramarley Graham and Jateik Reed, to unveil legislation that would require police officers to undergo a psychological evaluation every three years. In a statement, Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch says there is no need for the legislation, noting that NYPD officers are among the best trained in the country and are rigorously screened and supervised.
Meanwhile, according to the Daily News, Richard Haste, the officer who shot the unarmed Graham, told a colleague that he felt terrible about the shooting but believed the 18-year-old was armed, which is why he used deadly force to stop him. Haste was not trained in street level narcotics or plain-clothes detective work. The Bronx DA is currently investigating whether or not to charge Haste in the shooting.
Photographer Chris Arnade talks to Gothamist about shooting photos in Hunts Point.
Jennifer Troiano, the former Bronx Assistant District Attorney, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence but will receive no jail time.