Family members of Devon Wade, age 28, are mourning his death after an NYPD chase led to his death. According to police Wade was wanted on a bench warrant from a 2013 fraud case and police also wanted to question him regarding an obstruction of governmental administration case.
Witnesses stated that police entered an apartment building in the Bronx, New York, and knocked on a door where they suspected Wade was hiding. It was then that Wade reportedly fled out a window and climbed a fire escape to the roof. He was spotted by police and he realized that he had no place to go and made a fatal decision. As police yelled “Don’t do it” Wade made a running jump to another building rooftop 15 feet away and fell six stories. There were no police on the rooftop when Wade attempted his action movie jump.
His tragic fall was witnessed by his fiancée who was screaming as he fell. Unfortunately, while Wade was being transported by emergency personnel he fell off a backboard onto the stairs. Wade was later declared dead at St. Barnabas Hospital.
According to family members, Wade had a deep fear of police because of past encounters. According to police, he had been arrested 19 times in the past for mostly drug possession and other nonviolent offenses. Wade’s mother, Lisa Wade, told the media that he was beaten by police during an arrest and was scared. “They beat him up before. He shouldn’t have died that way. It’s sad because the police are supposed to protect us. It’s devastating,” she said.
Wade was the father of an 11-year-old daughter from a previous relationship. The mother of his child, Deyona Moore, stated to the media “My daughter’s going to be devastated. She’s definitely a daddy’s girl. She loves her father.”
The NYPD’s Force Investigations Division is reviewing Wade’s death.
