Squabble over City Grill reward fund

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Ellicott councilmember and Pastor Darius Pridgen announced plans Friday for the reward fund raised for the City Grill murder convictions. A man who played a role in the Riccardo McCray surrender is not happy.

Community activist Darnell Jackson says he should be $15,000 richer because he feels he's entitled to reward money.  The reward fund was set up following the City Grill shootings.

Jackson said, "I'm the one who apprehended the guy and helped him turn himself in, what is the problem?"

Jackson brought Riccardo McCray to Channel 4 10 days after the Main Street shootings. McCray was convicted of murder and now, Jackson says, he should get his reward. But Reverend Darius Pridgen says not so fast. He says there is an application process to make sure the money goes to the right person. He's enlisting the authorities to help make that call.

"It is important that those who feel they should receive the reward because they provided information that led to the arrest and conviction of the shooter, that they be given that opportunity if they provided that to the proper authorities, a clean process to make their application known," said Pridgen.

But Jackson says this only turns the public away from helping authorities.

Jackson said, "This is why people don't want to turn people in; this is why people don't want to deal with police, it's because of this."

"My own personal hope has always been clearly that there would be a conviction and that the families would be able to receive the money, realizing they have funeral expenses," said Pridgen.

There's no word when that reward decision will be made.