Police Violence Against Haitian Immigrants:
Patrick Dorismond
Video footage of Patrick Dorismond's Funeral on March 25th, 2000 in East Flatbush at Holy Cross R.C. Church. https://youtu.be/KtDG8REIwNU?feature=shared
A Cultural Snapshot of Brooklyn 2000
The year 2000 arrived with both anticipation and anxiety—a symbolic turning point into a new millennium, burdened with Y2K fears and buoyed by the hope of renewal. In pop culture, this was a moment of reinvention. Hip-hop continued its evolution as artists like OutKast, Eminem, and Jay-Z dominated the charts, while Haitian-American artist Wyclef Jean remained a powerful cultural force, using his platform to spotlight Haiti’s struggles and joys alike. Reality TV began its takeover with the debut of Survivor, and MTV Cribs gave viewers a peek into celebrity lives. Meanwhile, Black-led films like Love & Basketball and The Original Kings of Comedy resonated deeply, celebrating love, humor, and resilience in Black communities. But the year was also shadowed by global instability and systemic inequities: the contested U.S. presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore ended in a Supreme Court decision, casting doubt over democracy itself. In Haiti, political unrest escalated under the leadership of Jean-Bertrand Aristide after returning to Haiti serve another term, sending ripples through Haitian diasporic communities in New York and Miami. Amid these tensions, Haitian neighborhoods in Brooklyn remained hubs of cultural pride and connection.
From Left to Right: Patrick Dorismond, New York Times article with interview featuring Marie Dorismond, New York Daily News article covering Patrick Dorismond's wake
On March 16, 2000, Patrick Dorismond, a 26-year-old Haitian American security guard and father of two young daughters, was fatally shot by an undercover New York City police officer outside the Wakamba Cocktail Lounge in Midtown Manhattan. His death, coming just 13 months after the shooting of Amadou Diallo, intensified tensions between the NYPD and the city's Haitian and wider Black communities.
Patrick Dorismond was born to Marie and Andre Dorismond and raised in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. Patrick was the younger brother of Charles Andre Dorismond, better known by his stage name Bigga Haitian, who was the first Haitian musician to break into the Jamaican Reggae scene. He attended Wingate High School where he had been a promising athlete. At the time of his death, he worked as a security guard at the 34th Street Partnership and had a second job at a wholesale delivery service to support his two daughters, aged 5 and 18 months.
The fatal encounter began when Dorismond and a friend were waiting for a taxi outside the bar after finishing their work shifts. Undercover officer Anthony Vasquez, part of the NYPD's "Operation Condor" anti-drug initiative, approached Dorismond and asked if he knew where they could buy marijuana. Dorismond, who was not involved in drug dealing, took offense at being approached as a potential drug dealer. According to witnesses, he responded indignantly, and a confrontation ensued and quickly escalated from a verbal exchange to a physical altercation. During the scuffle, Officer Vasquez's gun discharged, firing a single bullet that struck Dorismond in the chest. Despite being rushed to St. Clare's Hospital, Dorismond was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The aftermath of the shooting sparked immediate controversy. Then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani authorized the release of Dorismond's sealed juvenile record to the media, claiming it showed Dorismond was "no altar boy."
This action was widely condemned, particularly since Dorismond had actually been an altar boy at Holy Cross Roman Catholic Church in East Flatbush. The Mayor's attempt to tarnish Dorismond's character only inflamed tensions further in the Haitian community. The East Flatbush neighborhood, where many Haitian families had settled, became a center of protest and mourning. On March 19th, 2000, East Flatbush landmark Evangelical Crusade Christian Church then known as Evangelical Crusade of Fishers of Men held a Day of Mourning where Patrick's family attended as well as Abner Louima, who had been the subject of one of the most heinous crimes at the hands of the NYPD three years before.
Organizations like Haitian American Alliance assisted with coordinating the wake services held at Torregrossa Funeral home in Flatlands Brooklyn and the student group, Haitian Enforcement Against Racism (HEAR), would be instrumental in providing logistical support the funeral as well. Despite the support, nothing could prepare them for the thousands who attended Dorismond's funeral at Holy Cross R.C. Church on March 25, which erupted into clashes between mourners and police when officers attempted to control the crowd.
Over 20 people were arrested, and several officers and civilians were injured during the disturbances. Legally, the case proved frustrating for those seeking justice. A grand jury declined to indict Officer Vasquez, ruling the shooting accidental. For Haitian Americans in East Flatbush and beyond, Dorismond's death represented a painful continuation of the pattern they had witnessed with Abner Louima just three years earlier. The case highlighted what many saw as racial profiling in police drug operations and raised questions about the NYPD's use of force policies.