On Monday, Erick Gilmore was fatally shot by an off-duty officer with the Ramapo Police Department. The officer, a Town of Cornwall resident, was not acting on behalf of the state or any other police agency. Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler would not reveal the shooter’s name, but said the incident occurred outside the officer’s home at 151 Main St.
At approximately 11 p.m., a call was made to Orange County 911. EMS and local police responded to the scene.
Following protocol established in 2015, whenever an officer is involved in a shooting, the local police department notifies the district attorney’s office and the state police department. At that point, the district attorney’s office becomes the lead investigative agency with assistance from state police.
Hoovler said the preliminary investigation revealed an off-duty Ramapo police officer discharged his personal weapon and shot his next door neighbor following an altercation. Details of the dispute which led to this encounter were not divulged. It’s also not known if the two individuals had previous run-ins.
A knife was recovered at the scene and the district attorney is coordinating with the attorney general’s office. Hoovler said, under an executive order signed in 2015, if an individual is armed at the time of the shooting, the investigation is handled by the district attorney’s office. If the citizen is unarmed, or if there’s a question if the individual was armed, the matter is handled by the attorney general’s office.
The investigation is ongoing as evidence is still being collected including ballistics, fingerprints, and DNA and interviews are being conducted.
No charges have been filed at this time. Hoovler said all police shootings will be heard before a grand jury. The grand jury is expected to reconvene in two weeks, but has a backlog of hundreds of cases. In addition to the grand jury’s finding, Hoovler’s office will conduct a parallel investigation and then release the facts and circumstances of the shooting, as well as any evidence.
Hoovler said the Ramapo Police Department will also conduct an administrative investigation. He added the officer has been placed on administrative paid leave.