Unarmed Army reservist shot and killed by police at traffic stop on Grand Central Parkway

An Army reservist with a clean record was fatally shot in his car by an NYPD detective early Thursday — before he even had “a chance to put his hands up” in surrender, a witness told the Daily News.

Noel Polanco, 22, was killed on the Grand Central Parkway in what witness Diane DeFerrari called an act of “pure road rage” following a terrifying chase by cops in an unmarked vehicle.

“Noel didn't have a chance to put his hands up. They screamed, ‘Put up your hands!’ and shot at the same time,” said DeFerrari, a 36-year-old bartender who was riding in the front passenger seat. “It was simultaneous. There was a pop and Noel gasped.”

Following the shooting, DeFerrari said she and a backseat passenger, an off-duty NYPD cop, were ordered out and made to put their hands on the car.

The cop who gunned down Polanco offered a different account, according to a source familiar with what he told colleagues. Detective Hassam Hamdy said he pulled the trigger after the Queens man reached down for something that turned out to be a yellow-and-black power drill, the source said.

Police sources identified the officer in Polanco’s car as 29-year-old Vanessa Rodriguez. She was waving her police ID out the window just before the shooting, sources said.

“The ESU cops are some of the most elite we have. If they pulled a car over there was a reason for it and they would have been livid.”

Thanks for the insight on the cops’ attitude. I’ll remember that if I’m ever pulled over.

Better?

But according to Dorothy Garcia, 74, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, Hamdy was one of several officers who broke down her front door in pursuit of her grandson, who they mistakenly believed was involved in a violent crime.

Garcia identified Hamdy after being shown his photograph by reporters on Friday.

“They stormed up. They were screaming,” Garcia said. She answered the door and the officers demanded to see her grandson, Tyrell Garcia, who was then 23.

When Ms. Garcia refused to let them in her house without a warrant, Hassan and the other officers began forcing their way into the house, she said. The officers broke down the door and chased after Tyrell, who hid in a neighbor’s garage.

According to the lawsuit, the teen surrendered and walked out of the garage peacefully, but was thrown to the ground and beaten by officers. A police dog was allowed to bite him repeatedly, the complaint said.

Several minor criminal charges were filed against Garcia for fleeing the police, but were later dropped, said Lichtmacher, the attorney. Garcia was cleared of any involvement in the crime that prompted the initial search.

“They were extremely aggressive with very little information,” Lichtmacher said. “They had no warrant. It was a very strange incident.”

Grand jury failed to indict the cop...Polanco’s mother sued...lawsuit was just settled...

City to pay Corona mom $2.5M for son’s death - February 13, 2014

http://www.timesledger.com/stories/2014/7/nationalguardpolanco_tl_2014_02_14_q.html

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