The New York Police Police Department is under fire following the arrest of a Black army vet for carrying a firearm. The veteran says he’s licensed to carry. Now, he demands to know what was really the issue.
Raffique Khan, retired U.S. Army member and Purple Heart veteran, says he was sitting in the car outside a family member’s house with a friend the evening of November 26, 2023, when an unmarked police car passed them. After driving off, the same vehicle pulled them over and several plain clothes officers emerged.
Khan alleges he notified the officers that he had a weapon in his glove box and that its registration was in his sun visor. However, Khan claims the cops weren’t tryna hear it and ordered him to step out of the car.
While searching his vehicle, Khan claims they asked him, “How did you get this?” in reference to his military identification. He said they also confiscated his weapon before taking him down to the station where they booked him on charges of criminal possession of a weapon and possession of pistol ammunition. Khan claims he was never told what he was being charged with despite asking multiple times. The complaint says he was released from custody the following day after going in front of a judge.
At his next hearing, Khan claimed the District Attorney verified he had a weapons permit and the charges were dismissed later in February. Now, he wants justice for simply exercising his Second Amendment rights.
Khan’s lawsuit named the NYPD, city of New York, Mayor Eric Adams and several police officials as defendants. The suit alleges he was racially discriminated against, wrongfully arrested and denied his right to bear arms. One defendant’s attorney responded to the complaint denying the allegations and argued that Khan was only authorized to carry his firearm at work, via court records. However, Khan is registered in the NYPD database to carry and his certification was completed in April 2023, per court documents.
Attorney Cory Morris tells The Root another claim in the suit has to do with the return of Khan’a firearm, which, according to court documents, took months despite Khan’s charges being dropped.
“My client was forced to jump through several hoops and could never get his property back from the New York City Police Department. After several demands, I filed a lawsuit and two orders to show cause that resulted in the return of his property,” said Morris.
When Khan was finally was able to get his firearm back, Morris said the piece was damaged and had suspicious number engravings. Morris tells The Root Khan will join him in front of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn for a follow-up hearing on July 11th.
“To be honest, I’m disappointed. I never thought I would serve and come home to be treated in this manner. I love my country. I wasn’t born here but what better way to pay your country than to serve. I did it honorably,” Khan told The New York Daily News.