I'm late on this so I apologize...
Weeks ago DeFarra Gaymon was shot by Officer Edward Esposito in Newark's Branch Brook Park during an undercover investigation of a sex ring.
Here's the story:
Esposito shot 48-year-old DeFarra Gaymon on July 16, at about 6 p.m. after approaching the undercover detective while masturbating and soliciting sex, authorities said.As you can imagine, this shook up Gaymon's family as well as the LGBT community in Newark. Now the authorities have suspended the undercover patrol.
Esposito was patrolling the park with another officer as part of a sheriff's detail to curtail public sex in the park, sheriff's officials have said. Gaymon, who was unarmed, "appeared to panic" when Esposito showed his badge, authorities have said.
Gaymon shoved the officer to the ground and threatened to kill him, according to Essex County Acting Prosecutor Robert Laurino, citing the officer's statement to investigators. Prosecutors have said that there were no witnesses to the shooting.
Gaymon, who grew up in Montclair, graduated from Montclair High School and was married with four children, had driven to New Jersey from his home in Georgia to attend his high school’s 30th reunion. He had planned the event, which was to take place later that evening.
His sister, Kelly Gaymon Armstrong, has disputed the officer's version of events. "I do not believe that story. Not one bit. That is not my brother's character," she said.
Gaymon was shot once in the stomach and died at University Hospital at 9 p.m. He was buried in South Carolina on Saturday. Several family members are expected to travel to New Jersey this week to speak to investigators.
Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said this on Friday:
"We’ve temporarily suspended the undercover operation there, but we're increasing uniformed patrol at Branch Brook," he said. "It's on hold for now. We're looking to tweak it and make some adjustments." Fontoura declined to specify any specific changes regarding the operation — which cracks down on public lewdness and sexual activity at Newark's Branch Brook Park and South Mountain Reservation — but said, "there will be a full review."Gaymon’s family want the FBI to get involved and Garden State Equality are also speaking out on the matter, saying:
"targeting gay men or LGBT people specifically, or anyone perceived as such, is unconscionable — and as we strongly believe, illegal."As the story unfolds, I 'm sure it will bring out more on DeFarra's life. I hope his family is ready for this. My heart goes out to them.
6 comments:
You are the first blogger I've seen showing some empathy towards this situation because most are callous and screaming he should have "came out of the closet". Kudos, V!
He was wrongfully killed. That is something we should really look at. His sexuality should not take away from the tragedy.
He looks like me in 40 years
The victim is only gay if you believe Esposito's wafer-thin story. Esposito says Gaymon was in the "gay part" of the park trolling for sex, but we have to take his word for it...and he's the guy holding the smoking gun. All we know is where Gaymon was ultimately killed, which was NOT in the sex cruising area. We do not know where they two men first encountered each other, nor what they said, nor what they did. For all we know, Gaymon could have been walking through the park minding his own business when this cop -- believing Gaymon "looked gay" -- initiated a confrontation. Gaymon, believing he had done nothing wrong could have become indignant. He may have even suspected the cop was an imposter with a mail-order badge. Remember: Undercover cops look real scummy.
If you assume Gaymon was gay because he was in Branch Brook Park, please keep in mind these facts:
The park is huge. They have family events there all the time. Not everyone who goes to that park is gay, nor are they all looking for sex.
Gaymon grew up in the area. The high school he graduated from in 1980 was only 5 minutes from the park. Gaymon was in the area to attend his 30-year high school reunion, an event he personally planned and coordinated. Perhaps the guy was simply taking a stroll down Memory Lane, seeing how things have changed. The park, the high school and the hotel where Gaymon was staying were within 10 minutes of each other.
Gaymon lived in Atlanta, and hadn't been back to NJ much. There's a very good chance that he didn't know Branch Brook Park had become a gay cruising scene. I can name 20 parks in the city I grew up in, and I can't tell you if any were used for sex then or now.
There are certainly many questions surrounding this shooting, but I don't believe why Gaymon was in Branch Brook Park is one of those questions. Last time I checked, it was legal for anyone in the U.S. to visit a public park without explanation. Again, the only thing Gaymon *might* have needed to explain is why he *may* have been trolling for sex *if* you indeed believe he was in the "gay sex part" of the park.
Also, please remember that the officer's story includes details that are very, very fuzzy. Esposito says Gaymon "appeared to be engaged in a sex act" with "may have been masturbating," then "appeared to panic" when Esposito attempted arrest. That is not a damning indictment. He was not "clearly masturbating," and didn't "clearly panic." This is the same kind of slippery ambiguity 5-year olds use when making up lies.
Personally, I don't believe one iota of the officer's version of events. I'm perplexed by those who share this skepticism about every aspect of Esposito's account, yet are willing to believe Gaymon had a secret gay life. If you doubt one part of Esposito's story, why would you believe *any* of it? Because it fits your world view or personal agenda? That stems from the same kind of bias many gays and African Americans have railed against in this case.
If Gaymon was indeed gay, a forensic analysis of his digital life will almost certainly betray any attempts he may have made to conceal his sexual interests. If Gaymon really was the person Esposito describes -- a man so gay and so brazen that he trolls for sex in public places in the middle of the day -- they you can be sure there is evidence on Gaymon's Blackberry or computer(s).
I don't believe Gaymon's killing is a "gay issue" or "race issue." Because an unarmed man was killed by a policeman in a public park for *alledgedly* doing something one usually only gets a fine for, I believe this is an issue concerning EVERYONE'S civil liberties.
The victim is only gay if you believe Esposito's wafer-thin story. Esposito says Gaymon was in the "gay part" of the park trolling for sex, but we have to take his word for it...and he's the guy holding the smoking gun. All we know is where Gaymon was ultimately killed, which was NOT in the sex cruising area. We do not know where they two men first encountered each other, nor what they said, nor what they did. For all we know, Gaymon could have been walking through the park minding his own business when this cop -- believing Gaymon "looked gay" -- initiated a confrontation. Gaymon, believing he had done nothing wrong could have become indignant. He may have even suspected the cop was an imposter with a mail-order badge. Remember: Undercover cops look real scummy.
If you assume Gaymon was gay because he was in Branch Brook Park, please keep in mind these facts:
The park is huge. They have family events there all the time. Not everyone who goes to that park is gay, nor are they all looking for sex.
Gaymon grew up in the area. The high school he graduated from in 1980 was only 5 minutes from the park. Gaymon was in the area to attend his 30-year high school reunion, an event he personally planned and coordinated. Perhaps the guy was simply taking a stroll down Memory Lane, seeing how things have changed. The park, the high school and the hotel where Gaymon was staying were within 10 minutes of each other.
Gaymon lived in Atlanta, and hadn't been back to NJ much. There's a very good chance that he didn't know Branch Brook Park had become a gay cruising scene. I can name 20 parks in the city I grew up in, and I can't tell you if any were used for sex then or now.
There are certainly many questions surrounding this shooting, but I don't believe why Gaymon was in Branch Brook Park is one of those questions. Last time I checked, it was legal for anyone in the U.S. to visit a public park without explanation. Again, the only thing Gaymon *might* have needed to explain is why he *may* have been trolling for sex *if* you indeed believe he was in the "gay sex part" of the park.
The victim is only gay if you believe Esposito's wafer-thin story. Esposito says Gaymon was in the "gay part" of the park trolling for sex, but we have to take his word for it...and he's the guy holding the smoking gun. All we know is where Gaymon was ultimately killed, which was NOT in the sex cruising area. We do not know where they two men first encountered each other, nor what they said, nor what they did. For all we know, Gaymon could have been walking through the park minding his own business when this cop -- believing Gaymon "looked gay" -- initiated a confrontation. Gaymon, believing he had done nothing wrong could have become indignant. He may have even suspected the cop was an imposter with a mail-order badge. Remember: Undercover cops look real scummy.
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