Where is Kalief Browder now? | The heartbreaking story of a wrongly accused teen

Kalief Browder

What happened to Kalief Browder?

Kalief Browder was an African American young adult from The Bronx, New York, who was held at the Rikers Island prison between 2010 and 2013 without being given a trial after he allegedly stole a backpack with valuables in it. This was a blatant abuse of Browder’s civil rights and one of the most shocking instances of the abuse of the criminal justice system. Browder was kept in solitary confinement for a total of 800 days during his time on Rikers Island. 

Browder’s initial arrest took place on the 15th of May 2010 when he was apprehended along with a friend on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. Browder told officers he was on his way home from a party and thought they were carrying out a routine stop and search, which was a procedure the police routinely did, especially to young black males like Browder, who had gone through this kind of thing on many occasions in his life. 

Police were responding to a 911 call concerning the theft of a backpack containing valuables. Police searched Browder but found nothing, but the accuser was sat nearby and said he recognised Browder and his friend as the perpetrators. Browder and his friend were taken to the police station where fingerprints were taken, and they were kept in a holding cell for hours. They were then taken to the Bronx County Criminal Court, where they were processed. 

17 hours after the initial arrest, Browder was interrogated by police and prosecutors. The next day, Browder was charged with robbery, grand larceny and assault and was not released due to being on probation. He was charged with second-degree robbery and taken to jail at Rikers Island to await his trial.  


What happened at his eventual trial? 

On the 13th March 2013, Browder finally appeared in court. He was offered a plea bargain that would involve his immediate release in exchange for his admission of guilt to 2 charges with the 3 years already served being taken into account. Browder showed real backbone and refused the offer and this led to him being returned to Rikers Island. On the 29th of May 2013, Browder was freed in anticipation of the case against him being dismissed. 

This is a shocking case of due process not being correctly followed, and an innocent man being imprisoned for something he didn’t do, and not given the right to a fair trial to prove his innocence. 


Where is Kalief Browder now? 

2 years after Kalief Browder’s release from Rikers Island, he hanged himself at his parents’ home in 2015. His case has led to activists campaigning for the reform of the criminal justice system. New York City later settled a civil lawsuit with the Browder family for $3.3 million but no amount of money will bring Kalief Browder back. He was just 22 when he died. 

Netflix released a 6 part documentary series called Time: The Kalief Browder Story in 2017, which detailed the case and the aftermath of Browder’s tragic death. 


What do you think about what happened to Kalief Browder? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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