A heartbreaking funeral was held for a seven-year-old boy tragically killed last month when he was hit by an NYPD tow truck.
Details of the funeral
The family of Kamari Hughes were greeted by a packed church of well-wishers at the Brown Memorial Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York, on Thursday, which included New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Attorney General Letitia James.
The boy’s uncle, DaQuan Askew, told WPIX of his fond memories of Kamari, who he said was ‘very uplifting, very exciting all the time, always thinking it’s playtime.’
The Spiderman-obsessed child‘s casket was painted in the theme of his favorite superhero, which was loaded into a hearse and watched driven away by his grief-stricken mother, Taqunda.
‘They took him out like a little king,’ a close family friend added to the outlet. ‘And he deserves that. He was a child, and he didn’t get to live life.’
How he died
Kamari was struck and killed on October 26 as he rode his scooter on the way to school by an NYPD tow truck allegedly driven by Stephanie Sharp, 54.
A civilian member of the NYPD, Sharp is now facing charges including failing to yield to a pedestrian and failure to exercise due care.
Tributes to the youngster
The tragic scenes at the Brooklyn church saw Kamari’s loved ones gather to remember the high-energy youngster.
‘I remember most him doing backflips playing in the swings, just being vibrant,’ said Shania, another family friend, to PIX11.
She recalled him ‘running around the park enjoying life, being a young boy’, adding that he was a ‘Beautiful young boy. Sweet, sweet, sweet. A sweet young baby.’
Who attended the funeral?
The funeral was attended by Mayor Adams after he previously met with Kamari’s mother Taqunda on the day her son lost his life.
Adams stayed at the funeral for around 20 minutes before exiting the vigil to speak privately with Taqunda.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James stayed for the whole hours-long service and appeared to know many of the boy’s loved ones gathered for the solemn moment.
The appearance of two of the Big Apple’s highest profile figures was remarked upon by Askew, who reflected on how his nephew left a touching legacy at such a young age.
‘I have so much great memories of him, he’s still the light of my day for me,’ he said.
‘Every time I wake up, I still think – he makes me smile. He makes me keep moving. Love your loved ones. Stay close. As you can see from this situation, everything is not promised.’
