Family Outraged as Corrections Officer Found Not Guilty in 18-Year-Old’s Death!
Dion Middleton, an off-duty New York City Corrections Officer, was found not guilty on all charges related to the 2022 killing of 18-year-old Raymond Chaluisant. The verdict was delivered on Thursday, much to the disappointment of Chaluisant’s family, who had been seeking justice for the past two years.
Raymond Chaluisant’s older brother, Jose, spoke about the family’s emotional response to the verdict. He said that they had attended every court session, spending two years seeing the evidence that reminded them of Raymond’s tragic death.
“We saw the clothes he had on, the bullet that went into his face,” Jose explained. When the not-guilty verdict was announced, Jose described how the family broke down in disbelief, expecting justice to be served for his younger brother.
In July 2022, police reported that Raymond Chaluisant was in the passenger seat of a car near East 174th Street and Morris Avenue. At some point, Chaluisant took out a gel gun, which was a popular social media trend at the time. However, there is no clear evidence of whether Raymond fired the gel gun or not. Jose explained that the gel beads used in the gun were impossible to investigate.
Middleton, claiming self-defense, shot at the car. The shot hit Chaluisant, resulting in his death as the vehicle drove away. Middleton argued that he fired his weapon because he felt threatened by the situation.
However, Jose questioned the seriousness of Middleton’s supposed threat, pointing out that Middleton’s shirt had no bloodstains on the night of the shooting. Jose expressed his frustration, saying, “You’re telling me he shot him just to shoot him? Shoot a tire. Shoot the car.”
Middleton’s defense attorneys did not comment on the verdict. However, the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association celebrated the outcome, posting on Facebook that they had maintained Middleton’s innocence since the incident. The jury seemed to agree with Middleton’s claim of self-defense, finding him not guilty of any charges.
Despite the verdict, Jose and his family are far from convinced that justice has been served. Jose expressed the toll the case has taken on the family, saying, “We don’t sleep, we don’t eat, we’re not the same anymore after this.”
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The family is still trying to come to terms with the decision, but they are considering their next legal steps in response to the outcome. Jose concluded by questioning how Middleton, now free, could go on with his life while the Chaluisant family continued to suffer the loss of Raymond.
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