New York City Correction Officer Dion Middleton charged with murdering 18-year-old Raymond Chaluisant in the Bronx

NEW YORK - A New York City correction officer was arraigned Friday afternoon, charged with murdering an 18-year-old in the Bronx while off-duty.

Police say 18-year-old Raymond Chaluisant was shot and killed around 1:30 a.m. Thursday. They found him with a gunshot wound to the face in the passenger seat of a vehicle at Grand Concourse and East Tremont.

His shocked mother spoke to him an hour before and told CBS2's Alice Gainer the last thing he said to her: "I love you, mom."

Police sources say Chaluisant and friends may have been shooting off gel pellets out of what's called an Orbeez gun in the area of the Cross Bronx Expressway and Morris Avenue.

An off-duty correction officer, they say, was allegedly struck in the back and, not knowing what hit him, returned fire.

That officer, 45-year-old Dion Middleton, is now charged with murder and manslaughter.

Middleton, who worked as a firearms instructor, allegedly never reported what happened and went to work.

Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina released a statement saying, "These very serious charges are in no way a reflection of the officers who work to keep our city safe every day. This officer will be immediately suspended without pay, and if the charges are true he will face the full consequences of the law and be terminated."

In a statement, the Correction Officers' Benevolent Association offered condolences to the family, but said in part, "Our officer fired a single shot in a situation where he felt his life was in immediate danger, particularly after feeling something hit his back. We are also aware that a NYPD Traffic Agent had also reported being hit with pellets in the same vicinity an hour beforehand."

Friends and family gathered outside Chaluisant's apartment building Friday. They say he loved his family and was an uncle.

"He died on my son's birthday," said Chaluisant's sister Jiraida.

"He was always about his friends, always about love, always about showing people love," said Chaluisant's girlfriend, Jillian.

"He wasn't in the street, none of that. He took care of his family, and he was a likable guy. Everybody liked him," said Q, a friend of Chaluisant's.

Police say there have been several recent incidents locally and nationally linked to a TikTok challenge where people post videos of themselves shooting at random people with gel guns. In some instances, others have shot back with real bullets.

Chaluisant's family and friends insist that's not what this was.

"He wasn't involved with that," Q said.

The NYPD tweeted a warning about bead blasters that shoot gel water beads "propelled by a spring-loaded air pump, making them an air rifle. Air rifles are a violation in NYC & are unlawful to possess. Violators found in possession of these will be issued a criminal summons & the weapon will be confiscated." 

Friends are in disbelief and say they keep expecting him to walk outside.

"He's gone. There will never be another one of him. An 18-year-old murdered for water," Q said.

The NYPD tweeted about bead blaster guns again Friday, saying they confiscated several weapons and issued summonses.

In:
• The Bronx