NYPD probes teen's death; witnesses report chase, racial slurs

NEW YORK -- New York City police are investigating the death of a black teenager who witnesses say was chased by a mostly white group shouting racial slurs.

The New York Daily News reports 16-year-old Dayshen McKenzie died last week. The Staten Island teen had asthma and a heart condition. The newspaper reports the official cause of death was pending.

A friend, 19-year-old Harry Smith, says their group got into a dispute with another group over a girl. He says the other group came back in three cars and one displayed a gun. Smith says the suspects used "a lot of racial slurs."

A former police officer, Diane Fatigati, tried to revive the dying teen. She says the group chasing McKenzie and his friends consisted of young white males and one Hispanic male, and two of the cars had Pennsylvania plates.

Police are now investigating the death as a hate crime, 1010 WINS reported. In a statement released to CBS New York, Richmond County District Attorney Michael E. McMahon said his office takes any allegation of a hate crime seriously and is in communication with the NYPD.

The boy's mother, Tisha Richardson, says she wants justice for her son. The Rev. Al Sharpton released a statement saying his National Action Network will call on the federal government to investigate the incident.

Speaking on WNYC radio's Brian Lehrer show, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said more facts are needed.

"We can't rush to judgement," de Blasio said Friday morning. "We just don't know enough yet to determine what happened here."

In:
• Staten Island
• New York City Police Department
• Hate Crime