A grand jury refused to indict a Queens man who was arrested last week for making an angry Facebook post in response to the George Zimmerman verdict. But although the case was dismissed, he remains in jail for violating his parole.
Remel Newson, 20, was arrested on July 18, hours after posting an angry status update saying black people couldn't get justice with the hashtag "killallwhites." The post also said "let's kill cops nd neighborhood watcher" [sic].
The post came after a Florida jury found neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman not guilty of murdering unarmed, black teenager Trayvon Martin.
The NYPD was monitoring Newson's Facebook page and arrested him for "making a terroristic threat" — a felony. Police also searched the property where he lives and found several joints, leading to a marijuana possession charge.
Court documents don't show whether the NYPD was monitoring Newson or broadly trolling social media for angry posts after the Zimmerman verdict. The NYPD has not responded to multiple requests for comment. The Queens County District Attorney's Office declined to comment.
The DA's Office took Newson's case through arraignment and to a grand jury. But the grand jury returned a no true bill, meaning they refused to indict. The case was dismissed late Tuesday, said Tasha Lloyd, a Legal Aid attorney who represented Newson.
Despite the dismissal, Newson is not a free man. The arrest was considered a parole violation for Newson who has two prior convictions including one for felony assault. He is still in jail waiting for a parole hearing Monday.