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Friends Think Stop-And-Frisk Could Have Stopped Brave Brooklyn Teen From Getting Shot In Back
By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 8, 2012
Modified Jun 8, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Jun 8, 2012
Modified Jun 8, 2012
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On Wednesday, a Brooklyn high school football star was shot in the back while trying to save his friend from being held up by robbers. Fritz Pascal, 17, saw four young robbers holding up his friend in a park near William E. Grady High School in Brighton Beach as he was leaving school around 2:50 p.m. Pascal was shot by suspected gunman Kyreef Cobb when he jumped in to intervene in the hold up. And now, Pascal's buddies say this could have all been avoided: “If they had stopped him, and found the gun before he had got there, [Pascal] wouldn’t have been shot,” teammate Bryant Brown told the Post. “I think that stop-and-frisk is worth the while,” said another teen, Matthew Summer. “It would stop incidents like this.”
Assistant junior-varsity coach Chris McThail agreed with the students: “If there was more of a police presence around the school, maybe it could have been avoided.” Pascal, a linebacker for the Grady High School Falcons, was taken to Lutheran Hospital where he is currently recuperating after surgery to remove the bullet from his back. Pascal is hoping he'll be able to play football next season.
Family and friends said they weren't surprised by his behavior: “I knew he’d go out of his way for anyone — stranger or friend,” said his sister Paulette Pascal. “He’s a big guy, 6-foot, 200 pounds. But his heart is even bigger.” “Fritz takes care of his friends and he defends a lot of the littler kids around here,” said freshman Quincy Jiles.
All four suspects fled the scene after the shooting, but were caught by police; in addition to 19-year-old Cobb, 19-year-old Bailah Abdullah; 19-year-old Armando Agosto; and 18-year-old Jasper Mixon have all been charged with robbery and possession of stolen property charges. Cobb was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon.
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fritz pascal
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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