Grand jury investigation showed self defense
After being delayed several months by the pandemic, a grand jury declined to file charges against an off-duty Ramapo detective who shot and killed an angry intruder.
The tragic incident occurred on July 6 in Cornwall when a neighbor approached the detective’s home shortly before 11 p.m. The front door was open and a storm door was closed but unlocked.
While checking on a barking pet, a family member saw the neighbor, perceived that he was angry and became alarmed. That prompted the detective to go to the door. And the two men could be heard arguing.
As the door opened, the intruder swung his knife at the officer, who was wearing a holster with a 9 mm pistol. The officer fired the weapon once and struck the neighbor in the chest, causing him to stagger down the driveway and collapse near the street. He dropped his knife about three feet from where he fell.
The shooter called for an ambulance and police, and then removed his shirt and used it to apply pressure to the victim’s bleeding bullet wound. Despite these efforts, the victim died.
In an investigation after the shooting, police found scratches on the glass portion of the side door and a hole in the door frame that could have been made by a knife. A trail of blood made it apparent that the intruder had been shot at the door and not at the place where he fell.
The victim’s father said his son had a history of mental health issues, including bipolar, schizophrenic and social anxiety disorders. The father claimed that his son was upset that the police had come to his house for noise complaints, but had never bothered the detective’s family.
Three months before his death, the deceased man had been shot with a Taser after he threatened the Town of Cornwall Police with a knife. He eventually dropped the knife and was subdued by the officers.
District Attorney David Hoovler summarized the investigation. “It is clear,” he said, “that this off-duty detective was legally justified in using deadly physical force to avoid being attacked with a knife inside his home. It is always a tragedy when someone loses their life and never more so than when the deceased was suffering from mental illness and associated issues. My deepest condolences go out to the family of the deceased man and particularly to his father. Those who suffer from mental health issues and their families deserve support from the community. Tragic events like these have life altering consequences for all of the families involved.”
