After the devastating murder of Eudes Pierre last year, his family has found a new way to honor his legacy, reports Patch.
Proposed by Councilmember Crystal Hudson, "Eudes Pierre Way" was one of 78 streets that was voted to get new co-names after a City Council meeting last Thursday. This change will rename the stretch of Eastern Parkway and Utica Avenue where Pierre lived, and, coincidentally, where he was shot by two officers last December.
"One day his future nieces and nephews will ask me, why is Eastern Parkway named Eudes Way? [And] I can say, let me tell you a story of a great man, whose name rings out for those in need,'" stated Rholan Pierre, Pierre's brother. "My brother would be proud and smiling to see all the people who have fought to make sure he is remembered."
The NYPD went on to deem Pierre's death a "suicide by cop," stating that he had called 911 on himself and left a suicide note at his family's home before the incident.
But family and friends have pushed back on the narrative by creating the The Eudes Pierre Law. A new requirement that 911 operators ask if there is a mental health crisis and, if so, to send experts in place of police. The law which already has similar program from the city known as B-HEARD in place, though it hasn't yet made its way to Brooklyn, would save the lives of those experiencing mental health crises like Pierre, who suffered from bipolar disorder.
"From the very beginning, our main objective was to let the world know, especially the NYPD, Eudes Pierre was and will always be more than a 'Suicide by Cop' headline ... Eudes was a person and he had a name," stated Sheina Banatte, one of Pierre's cousins. "This street co-naming is an emblem of being heard and being seen, not only for Eudes."
