Family members and friends of a Kensington teen who a grand jury indicted on murder charges for allegedly fatally stabbing his father are rallying behind the kid they say was the victim of an abusive dad.
A grand jury indicted 19-year-old Hazzan Razzaq on and order him held without bail on Friday after dozens of family and friends wearing T-shirts emblazoned with the words “#FreeHassanRazzaq” piled into the courtroom to hear the decision read by Assistant District Attorney Olatokunbo Olaniyan.
The outpouring of support for Razzaq came as a shock to his lawyer.
“Neighbors are contacting me every day with information,” said defense attorney Michael Cibella, who cited an online petition with more than a 1,000 signatures on Chang
Some supporters left the courtroom with tears in their eyes.
Razzaq was arrested two weeks ago and charged with murder and the possession of a weapon following the stabbing death of his father, who neighbors claim they routinely heard screaming in the house. Hassan was arrested two weeks ago and charged with murder and the possession of a weapon following the stabbing death of his father, who neighbors say was abusive, claiming they routinely heard screams coming from the house. Family, friends, and neighbors have been vocal ever since about what they say are Mohammed Razzaq’s horrible ways, taking to social media to rally in defense of the teen. Cibella detailed the nightmarish abuse Mohammed inflicted on his children after previous appearance by Hassan at the Brooklyn Supreme Court, according to the New York Post.
Cibella says he will apply for bail at the next court appearance, which he anticipates will be in several weeks.
Cibella added he had prepared the family for the possibility of the indictment, but that they were still shocked by the decision.
Still, he hopes that the release of evidence following the indictment will ultimately help the defense.
“There’s a lot more to the story that needs to be brought out,” he said.
