Coleman charged in Richburg shooting

The man arrested for the murder of Hasan Richburg in Kingsbridge Heights last month will be in court again next week for his arraignment.

Deshaun Coleman, 46, of Sedgwick Avenue, faces manslaughter and criminal weapon possession charges over the 26-year-old Fordham Manor man’s fatal shooting. That occurred at an apartment at 131 West Kingsbridge Road, according to police, who arrived that day to find Richburg had been shot multiple times in the torso.

Richburg was rushed to a local hospital, but doctors couldn’t save him.

Coleman was arrested on Valentine’s Day, with police saying both video surveillance and witnesses directly tie Coleman to the shooting. Although prosecutors nor detectives would share a potential motive for the violence, one news outlet reported the two argued over a girl.

Coleman is no stranger to the courts — especially when it comes to gun violence. He was charged with murder for the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Victor Maldonado in 2012, less than a mile away from where Richburg was shot. But the charges did not stick with Coleman claiming self-defense, and having charges ultimately reduced to criminal weapon possession.

That landed Coleman in prison for nearly a decade.

“I hope he doesn’t get away with it this time,” said Nayiliana Dejesus, Maldonado’s sister. “I hope he doesn’t get away with (Richburg)’s murder. You know he got away with my brother’s murder because the system is just messed up that way.”

Coleman reportedly shot Maldonado while trying to break up a fight between two girls — one of which was Coleman’s sister, police said. The dispute reportedly started after Maldonado’s friend held the front door for Coleman’s sister, who failed to say “thank you” before sarcastically adding “you’re welcome.”

Everything reportedly escalated when Coleman was called out before police say he fired a single shot into Maldonado’s chest.

Dejesus, however, claims her brother was trying to run away from Coleman before he was shot.

“We were all trying to warn people about this man,” Dejesus said. “Saying that he was out on the street. And I don’t think it’s fair that he should be out on the street. He killed people. He’s had previous cases where he’s attempted to kill people.”

According to a police spokesperson, Coleman was also charged with attempted murder in 2005, criminal weapon possession in 2009, and an assault in 2015 while he was still in prison.

“The system is just so messed up,” Dejesus said. “It’s so corrupted. You know it shows all over. It shows on movies. It shows on shows. I don’t mean to bring this up, but they keep people in jail for more years for drugs and robberies and weapons. I understand those are not good crimes either at all, but this man literally killed people, attempted to kill people. And he gets away with everything.”

Dejesus also knew Richburg, as the two grew up together.

“I hope that they put him away, throw away the key, and not let him out,” Dejesus said of Coleman. “I don’t think he deserves to be out. I hope the jury really listens this time and really sits there and takes the time to listen. Not just, ‘OK, he’s not guilty. Whatever.’

“No, sit there and listen to the evidence. Maybe there’s no witnesses, but all the evidence points to this man killing this kid. We couldn’t get justice for my brother, but we can get justice for Hasan.”