A Shame} NYPD Detective Killed A Soldier 22, While Driving Near La Guardia

 

First I will give you the information that the media in NYC is reporting and then I’ll give my thoughts which is one of shame and of being confused  about what happened this morning at the Grand Central Pkwy Near La Guardia.

By Tamer El-Ghobashy- Wall St. Journal

A uniformed New York City police detective shot and killed an unarmed motorist in Queens after pulling over the 22-year-old driver for allegedly driving erratically during the pre-dawn hours Thursday, police said.

The episode unfolded at about 5:15 a.m. on the Grand Central Parkway near LaGuardia Airport, police said. The detective was among several Emergency Services Unit officers in two unmarked vans who were driving along the parkway en route to Brooklyn after executing an arrest warrant in the Bronx.

As the vans drove in the middle lane, a black Honda Fit cut them off twice and was seen tail-gating another vehicle, police said. One van full of officers positioned their vehicle in front of the Honda and slowed down, while the other van remained behind it – a maneuver conducted to bring the Honda to a full stop, police said.

The detective, who was identified only as a 39-year-old detective with 14 years on the force, approached the Honda from the passenger side, while a second officer approached from the driver’s side, police said. The passenger side window was ajar, police said, and the detective saw the driver allegedly reach under his seat. He fired a single shot, striking the motorist in the right side of his abdomen, police said.

The driver, identified by an official as Noel Polanco, died at New York Hospital Queens, police said.

Two women, one an off-duty officer, were inside the Honda and were unhurt. The backseat passenger, the officer, was apparently asleep during the incident and was awakened by the gunshot, police said.

The other passenger, a bartender at an Astoria nightclub where Polanco also worked, told police she had been concerned during the car ride because he had been driving too fast and asked him to slow down. She also told investigators that she had served Polanco drinks but it was not clear if he had been intoxicated, police said.
All three had been at the club, Ice Lounge, prior to the shooting episode, police said.

Police said a 4-volt Ryobi drill was recovered from underneath the driver’s seat inside the Honda.

 Due to go back to combat in a few days

Police said the detective who fired the shot was treated at a hospital for tinnitus and released. He had not fired his weapon in the line of duty previously, officials said.

"I wish someone could explain to me these shootings. The sad part is that the people involved in the shooting and death of most people that have been killed by NYPD in the past two years is the the NYPD. People are kept away and why the press is not there (to interview witness’s is beyond me) and get the picture of what happened.  I like the job this force do to protect this city but it seems to me that when you have so many shootings and death, over unarmed individuals something is wrong. Who ever says that this ok because this things happen is crazy! In this case now the “ media” is reporting that the cop might have been confused and taken a drill which was found ‘underneath’ the front seat as a gun. I don’t understand that and even if he pulled a drill when you have a Serge. in one side of the car and the plain clothes Detective on the other side, how a drill could be confused as a gun particularly since the drill was underneath the seat??

 On top of that,  one of the passengers was an off duty policeman.  It leaves the family and friend of this soldier, as I seen,  just confused in their grief for this 22 young active soldier.

 I hate this when something confusing and the regular press that we have in NYC just go with what they are told. We have the most dependent press and media I have ever seen in  this city. I guess all those reporters of the 60’s −80’ s are dead and they were never replaced. A shame!”  adamfoxie*