He was born and raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, N.Y. and attended New York City Public Schools. Demosthenes is a graduate of John Jay College of Criminal Justice (B.S., M.A.) New York Law School (J.D.) and St John Fisher College (Ed.D.). Demosthenes retired as an Assistant Chief from the New York Police Department and served for five years as the First Deputy Commissioner of the Westchester County Department of Public Safety – Division of County Police. His research interests include examining the complexities of police – citizen encounters.