This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/nyregion/police-brian-moore-demetrius-blackwell.html
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Gunman Convicted of Murder in New York Police Officer’s Death | Gunman Convicted of Murder in New York Police Officer’s Death |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A 37-year-old man charged in the shooting of the New York City police officer Brian Moore during a routine encounter in Queens Village in 2015 was convicted on Thursday of murder. | A 37-year-old man charged in the shooting of the New York City police officer Brian Moore during a routine encounter in Queens Village in 2015 was convicted on Thursday of murder. |
| The 12 jurors, who began reviewing evidence on Wednesday, delivered their verdict against the defendant, Demetrius Blackwell, after several hours of deliberations. | |
| Though the shooting occurred more than two years ago, on May 2, 2015, it continues to resonate sadly for Officer Moore’s colleagues at the 105th Precinct station house and throughout the Police Department. | Though the shooting occurred more than two years ago, on May 2, 2015, it continues to resonate sadly for Officer Moore’s colleagues at the 105th Precinct station house and throughout the Police Department. |
| Patrick J. Lynch, the president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, said outside of court on Wednesday after closing arguments, “Today is going to be the culmination of two and a half years of waiting for our hero’s family and the colleagues that patrol these streets along with Brian.” For Officer Moore’s relatives, including his father, Raymond, a retired officer, the time has been “very difficult,” Mr. Lynch said. | |
| For Mr. Blackwell, who was taken into custody at a house near the shooting after an intensive 90-minute search by police officers, the case played out on the same residential streets where he had played sports with other children as a boy and where he still lived. | For Mr. Blackwell, who was taken into custody at a house near the shooting after an intensive 90-minute search by police officers, the case played out on the same residential streets where he had played sports with other children as a boy and where he still lived. |
| His lawyer, David A. Bart, had tried to convince jurors that the prosecution had not proved his client’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. With a single defense witness, a neuropsychologist, Mr. Bart argued that even if the jury ruled against Mr. Blackwell, it should mete out less punishment because of his client’s severe epilepsy and “compromised brain.” For such a defense, the onus was on Mr. Bart to show that his client’s condition diminished his ability to form intent. | His lawyer, David A. Bart, had tried to convince jurors that the prosecution had not proved his client’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. With a single defense witness, a neuropsychologist, Mr. Bart argued that even if the jury ruled against Mr. Blackwell, it should mete out less punishment because of his client’s severe epilepsy and “compromised brain.” For such a defense, the onus was on Mr. Bart to show that his client’s condition diminished his ability to form intent. |
| But Daniel A. Saunders, an assistant district attorney, in his closing arguments, said the evidence showed that the lone defense witness, Sarah G. Schaffer, was “uniquely unqualified” to have evaluated Mr. Blackwell’s cognitive abilities. | But Daniel A. Saunders, an assistant district attorney, in his closing arguments, said the evidence showed that the lone defense witness, Sarah G. Schaffer, was “uniquely unqualified” to have evaluated Mr. Blackwell’s cognitive abilities. |
| In its deliberations, the jury asked to review two items: Mr. Blackwell’s medical records and the testimony of Officer Moore’s partner, Officer Erik Jansen. Mr. Blackwell, who did not testify, faces life in prison. | In its deliberations, the jury asked to review two items: Mr. Blackwell’s medical records and the testimony of Officer Moore’s partner, Officer Erik Jansen. Mr. Blackwell, who did not testify, faces life in prison. |
| For him, it is a culmination of an adulthood marked by drug abuse and arrests. He served five years in prison for an attempted murder in 2000. In May 2013, he was arrested on charges of assault and attempted grand larceny. The next year, the police said, he brandished a gun and hurled rocks at a nearby home before smashing the windshield of a parked car with a brick. | For him, it is a culmination of an adulthood marked by drug abuse and arrests. He served five years in prison for an attempted murder in 2000. In May 2013, he was arrested on charges of assault and attempted grand larceny. The next year, the police said, he brandished a gun and hurled rocks at a nearby home before smashing the windshield of a parked car with a brick. |
| On the evening of the shooting in 2015, Officer Moore, 25, and Officer Jansen were patrolling in plainclothes in an unmarked sedan looking for burglary suspects. They noticed the man Officer Jansen later testified was Mr. Blackwell, who looked up at them as he was crossing 212th Street and appeared to be trying to hide something. The officers slowly trailed him in their car, eastbound along 104th Road. Officer Moore was driving. Mr. Saunders said each officer was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and both had their police badges around their necks outside their clothes. | On the evening of the shooting in 2015, Officer Moore, 25, and Officer Jansen were patrolling in plainclothes in an unmarked sedan looking for burglary suspects. They noticed the man Officer Jansen later testified was Mr. Blackwell, who looked up at them as he was crossing 212th Street and appeared to be trying to hide something. The officers slowly trailed him in their car, eastbound along 104th Road. Officer Moore was driving. Mr. Saunders said each officer was wearing a bullet-resistant vest and both had their police badges around their necks outside their clothes. |
| They drove up on the wrong side of the road to question Mr. Blackwell, but before they could step from their car, he turned and raised a silver five-shot revolver with his left hand five feet from Officer Moore and fired. | They drove up on the wrong side of the road to question Mr. Blackwell, but before they could step from their car, he turned and raised a silver five-shot revolver with his left hand five feet from Officer Moore and fired. |
| The first shot hit Officer Moore in the left temple; the second hit a door and then lodged below his right eye; the third sailed over the police car’s roof and hit a house Mr. Blackwell had lived in as a child. | The first shot hit Officer Moore in the left temple; the second hit a door and then lodged below his right eye; the third sailed over the police car’s roof and hit a house Mr. Blackwell had lived in as a child. |
| “Did he know they were police officers?” Mr. Saunders said in his closing arguments. “Why would he shoot them?” He added: “Brian Moore was killed because he was a police officer. That’s why he shot him. There is no other reason.” | “Did he know they were police officers?” Mr. Saunders said in his closing arguments. “Why would he shoot them?” He added: “Brian Moore was killed because he was a police officer. That’s why he shot him. There is no other reason.” |
| Mr. Saunders said once Officer Moore was shot, he had no chance to survive, though his colleagues rushed him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. He died there two days after the shooting. | Mr. Saunders said once Officer Moore was shot, he had no chance to survive, though his colleagues rushed him to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center at speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. He died there two days after the shooting. |
| “Underneath the clothes, when his clothes were stripped from him, there was no Superman uniform on Officer Moore,” said Mr. Saunders, describing how Officer Moore’s fellow officers searched his body for wounds. “These people, these police officers, these men and women, they’re not Superman, they have no super powers. They’re ordinary people.” | “Underneath the clothes, when his clothes were stripped from him, there was no Superman uniform on Officer Moore,” said Mr. Saunders, describing how Officer Moore’s fellow officers searched his body for wounds. “These people, these police officers, these men and women, they’re not Superman, they have no super powers. They’re ordinary people.” |