Murdered far-left Brooklyn activist’s girlfriend has trouble picking out suspect in lineup: report

During an arraignment Thursday, Brooklyn prosecutor Jordan Rossman revealed that Ryan Carson's girlfriend identified suspect Brian Dowling as the man who murdered her boyfriend from a photo lineup. 

According to the New York Post, two other witnesses to the crime did however identify Dowling as the man who stabbed Carson to death last week.  

Carson was killed early morning on October 2nd while he and his girlfriend were walking down a sidewalk in Brooklyn. As the closest witness to the murder, former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Bederow said it was "potentially devastating and crippling" that she could not correctly identify the suspect. 

"It’s really too early to tell," he added. "If they found a weapon at this guy’s apartment and it has the DNA of the victim, that’s compelling in the other direction."

A video of the incident went viral online last week and showed the two sitting on a bench as a man with a black hoodie walked past them. They get up and begin moving in the same direction as the man when he turns and begins walking towards them. 

Carson tells the man to "chill" as he starts to get closer. Carson pushed him off, the attacker swinging at him. The video cuts out and starts with Carson on the ground and the man moving toward the girlfriend before walking off.  

Carson succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to Kings County Hospital Center. 

18-year-old Brian Dowling was later arrested and charged with second-degree murder on Oct. 5 after police executed a search warrant at a home near where the incident took place. According to reports, Dowling has a history of violence including one instance where the police were called by his aunt after he smashed up the belongings of his girlfriend's apartment.  

Carson was a far-left activist who was remembered by his friends for his acts of "kindness." However, his social media posts revealed that he had a history of celebrating the deaths of conservatives, and advocated for violence against police.