Mother of Man Killed by Police: ‘I Want No Cover-Up; I Want Answers’

New York Times ^ | October 6, 2012 | COLIN MOYNIHAN and WENDY RUDERMAN

[Lancey Howard]

Detective Hassan Hamdy made the split-second decision to fire a single fatal shot at an unarmed motorist during an early morning traffic stop on a highway in Queens because he thought the driver was reaching for a gun, according to the detective’s lawyer.

The driver, Noel Polanco, 22, did not comply with Detective Hamdy’s orders to put his hands up, instead reaching “down in a quick motion, down on the floor of the car,” said lawyer Philip Karasyk, representing the detective.

Detective Hamdy twice yelled “Police!” and was wearing a heavy vest with the word “police” written across it, Mr. Karasyk said. “At that point my guy fires, thinking he has a gun,” Mr. Karasyk said in an interview Saturday night. “If this guy had kept his hands up or on the wheel, we wouldn’t be here. Had not for this person reaching down, lunging for the floor and not complying with orders to show his hands, we wouldn’t be here.”

(snip)

Mr. Polanco was driving on the Grand Central Parkway just after 5 a.m. on Thursday when he was pulled over by uniformed members of the Police Department’s Emergency Service Unit, who were riding in unmarked vans. They said that he had twice cut them off.

Mr. Karasyk said officers activated lights and sirens and yelled at Mr. Polanco to pull over, but he sped up and continued driving, which escalated the officers’ level of alertness.

“He was a danger to other motorists on the road,” Mr. Karasyk said. "They actually had to box him in and pull him over.”

(snip)

Toxicology tests, administered after the shooting, showed no drugs or alcohol in Detective Hamdy’s system, police said.

“He is a squared-away guy. He doesn’t drink. He takes no drugs. He is on no medications whatsoever,” Mr. Karasyk said.

[Lancey Howard]

So you are saying that she must have been awake, right?

No. I'm saying she probably must have been awakened at some point. (shrug) Who knows? I guess we'll find out what happened when the investigations are wrapped up. I'll get back to you then. Meanwhile, why don't you and your buddies grab a rope and go looking for the cop?