Mother of slain bodega worker blasts NYPD

The heartbroken mother of a bodega worker accidentally killed by a Bronx officer is upset with the NYPD and says Police Commissioner Ray Kelly admitted the mistake in the shooting.

20-year-old Reynaldo Cuevas was fatally shot while running away from an alleged robbery at the store.

There was anger and frustration spilling into the streets of the Bronx Sunday afternoon as dozens in marched in honor of Cuevas.

The march held in the Morrisania neighborhood was emotional as friends and family lit candles and couldn't hold back the tears.

"Sadness, this can't be true, it's like a bad dream," said a friend of Cuevas.

The growing outrage at times, came to a boil, as many on this day screamed, cursed and blew whistles at officers blaming them for Cuevas' death.

"It's very hard to understand, this is something horrible," said Gisselle Gonzalez, the cousin of Cuevas.

Commissioner Kelly said Cuevas' death was an accident and that housing Officer Ramysh Bangali had his gun drawn when Cuevas ran into him fleeing the bodega.

Officer Bangali, who is a seven-year NYPD veteran, was placed on administrative duty after the incident.

Cuevas worked at the store on Franklin Avenue that was owned by his family so he could send money back to his 3-year-old daughter in the Dominican Republic.

Bodega Association spokesman Fernando Mateo and Bronx District Attorney Robert Johnson organized and emergency meeting to help the Cuevas family understand the steps to justice in the case. The Cuevas family and many others in the community believe this was not an accident.

"We want to know what DA Johnson has to say about this case. The video clearly shows Cuevas running out of the bodega and once on the floor Reynaldo Cuevas was shot. We also learned that the police officer had his finger on the trigger, which violates police procedure", said Mateo.

During the press conference, Anna Cuevas was so overcome with sadness she fainted and had to be taken to the hospital.

The incident happened when Cuevas was about to leave work after a shift at around 2:00 a.m. Friday when he went back to the bodega to pick up a bar of soap.

The three suspects ran in to the store and pistol-whipped the manager, 43-year-old Felix Mora demanding cash, according to police.

Police arrived at the scene the victims ran out the front door, one of them being Cuevas which lead to the fatal shooting.

The three suspects - Orlando Ramos, 31, Ernesto Delgado, 28, and Christopher Dorsey, 17 - were charged with murder, robbery and weapons possession.

Despite the arrests many on this night, including another Cuevas cousin Mickey Rodriguez, question the shooting.

"He was unarmed. Why you are going to shoot him like that," said Rodriguez.

The family says Cuevas was preparing to join the Army.

The outrage grows and there are calls to protest peacefully, including from Franclot Graham, whose son Ramarley was shot and killed by an NYPD officer earlier this year in the Bronx.