Gilbert Drogheo, who was unarmed, was also aware of the fact that William Groomes was armed and was dead intent on using it against him. Gilbert Drogheo began to run for his life. As he ran through the Borough Hall train station he was pursued by William Groomes who openly carried his loaded gun in plain sight of others. One bystander is heard saying "Don't shoot O.G.! Don't shoot!" Both men finally come face to face at the landing at the top of the stairs still within the train station. It is here that Mr. Groomes begins physically assaulting Mr. Drogheo, slapping and shoving him. Gilbert aware that this man has a loaded gun slyly pointed at him on the side of his hip, pushes Mr. Groomes' hands away from him in an attempt to save his own life. Mr. Groomes, however, wasn't backing down. A struggle ensues. The two men struggle into the corner of the train station near a turnstile where Mr. Groomes fired a single shot at point blank range into Gilbert’s chest.

This is the moment where Gilbert Drogheo, electrician, father of a five year old daughter, and eldest of three sons, lost his life.

Sounds like the next best selling thriller from a well known author right? It is not. It is my unfathomable reality. My name is Linda Rodriguez and Gilbert Drogheo was my oldest son. His life was senselessly and tragically cut short at the hands of William Groomes. Several videos shot by camera phones began to emerge over the Internet. (Here is a link to one of those videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pig9WpJx1VE&feature=youtu.be.) At first, I was devastated and upset that the world got to see the last moments of my son's life with the click of a button. Then it dawned on me that "Hey! This is all the evidence the police would need to charge this man with murder. The videos clearly show the events that took place. The videos showed how William Groomes followed my son through the train station. There were also eyewitness accounts that Mr. Groomes loaded his gun on the train." Unfortunately my thoughts proved to be just that. Thoughts. On May 4, 2015, the DA’s Office informed me that they would not press any charges at all against William Groomes, that the case would never go to a grand jury, that William Groomes was a cleared and free man after he pursued, shot, and killed my son.

William Groomes has claimed that he was fearful of my son. He also has claimed that he was making a citizen’s arrest. My questions are: If he was that afraid of my son, an unarmed man, then why did he pursue my son after my son ran from him? Also, is a gun warranted in making a citizen’s arrest (even if Mr. Groomes had the right to an arrest, which he does not)? Nobody heard him say that he was making a citizen’s arrest.

I do not accept DA Ken Thompson’s determination "that criminal charges are not warranted in this matter." I don't want this swept under the rug. I don't want my son to become another, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and the many men that came before him and will come after. I don't want my two other sons to feel like it's okay for someone to take their lives because that person wears a badge – or in the case of Williams Groomes, once wore a badge. I don't want them to walk in fear.

You may hear different stories of how my son got into a physical and verbal altercation with William Groomes but not once did my son pull out a weapon and threaten the life of Mr. Groomes. Gilbert was unarmed. How much harm could my son have caused? A bruised ego maybe? The media has also tried to make my son out to be a career criminal stating that he was arrested over 20 times which is untrue.

All I want is justice for my son. I want DA Ken Thompson to re-open this case and press all the charges that his Office would against any person who drew a loaded weapon on a crowded subway car and chased someone with that loaded gun out in crowded subway station and then murdered an unarmed young man. I want DA Ken Thompson to prosecute this case vigorously against Williams Groomes and get an indictment on all charges. I want a trial, and I want Willian Groomes to face justice for committing murder. And if DA Thompson will not do this voluntarily, I will make sure his Office is pressured to uphold the law and do its job. We will work to get a Special Prosecutor appointed, if the Brooklyn DA’s Office will not do its job. We will not give up. I would like for William Groomes to feel the pain that I feel day in and day out. He needs to pay for the crime that he committed.
I'm reaching out for your support for these demands. I'm reaching out for justice. I'm reaching out because my son's life mattered. Thank you.