Rawlings Attorney Accuses Mayor Fenty of Breaking Promise

WASHINGTON, DC (WUSA) -- More than six months after 14-year-old Deonte Rawlings was shot and killed by an off duty DC policeman, the attorney for the Rawlings family accuses Mayor Adrian Fenty of breaking his promise to the youth's family.

Attorney Gregory Lattimer tells 9NEWS NOW, "Mayor Fenty made promises to this family. And he promised Mr. Rawlings that there was going to be a fair, an open, and an honest investigation conducted. And whatever we find and no matter what it shows, we're going to immediately make that available to the public." Lattimer claims the investigation has been done for months and that police and prosecutors are "refusing" to release the findings. "The refusal is based on a simple premise," says Lattimer, "that if you want to silence any public outcry, you delay until interest wanes. And that's what's being done here."

The Rawlings investigation has been wrapped in silence since last Fall, when the US Attorney's Office opened a grand jury investigation into the shooting. A spokesman says prosecutors cannot discuss grand jury matters. The Rawlings probe is believed to be near completion.

A spokesman for Mayor Fenty points out the Mayor has no authority over federal prosecutors nor grand jury matters.

Deonte Rawlings, 14, was shot and fatally wounded September 17, 2007 in an alley in the 600 block of Atlantic St.,SE. Initial police reports indicated off duty officer James Haskell spotted Rawlings on his mini-bike that was stolen from Haskell's home. When confronted by the officer, police officials said, Rawlings opened fire on Haskell and Officer Anthony Clay, who also was off duty, and then ran. Haskell returned fire and gave chase.

Reports that Rawlings had been shot in the back of the head during that foot chase helped to ignite a neighborhood outcry. Mayor Fenty and Police Chief Cathy Lanier held three press conferences in those first days after the shooting to help quell the community.