Posted on 10/06/2012 5:58:50 PM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com ...
Oh boy, you just know the FReeper cop haters will be here soon.
All he does is kill people. And at that, as Mr.Polance can attest to, he is very efficent.
My daughter is just learning to drive and is a danger to motorists sometimes...I hope she doesn’t get executed like this guy.
An earlier news story said that he didn’t put his hands up because he had them on the steering wheel, after coming to a stop. This one now says that he reached down toward the floor. So, which was it?
I guess this will depend upon which version is true, and whether there is any evidence to back it.
Which part of “ no sudden moves and keep your hands in plan sight” didn’t he understand?
Is that what the cop actually said?
Given the NYPD’s record, one has probable cause to doubt it.
Both, possibly.
Not everybody drives with their hands at "10 and 2".
Some drive with one hand (or both) on the lower half of the wheel.
I was on the guys side until Sharpton stepped in.
Now the truth will be difficult to find.
I hope she doesn't hurt anybody in my family.
Ma’am, I was leaning in your direction ‘til I saw your photo with Sharpton.
If the officer shot they guy as the witness said, he needs to be prosecuted, just like any other criminal.
/johnny
Noel Polanco; New York Post
Given that the police, all across the country, have been shooting first then asking questions, there is plenty of reason to doubt the officer’s side of things.
yeah...since when is reaching down a crime or even a threat? He probably was reaching for his wallet as I used to when I kept mine under my car seat. I am sickened by all of these stories of unionized , trigger happy and BAD under pressure cops..all paid by the U S taxpayer.
yeah heaven forbid American citizens should be outraged at the murder of this young man.
True.
Look on the bright side of this tragedy: At least no dogs were killed.
Yet.
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