Monday, April 18, 2005

RETIRED NYPD DETECTIVE PLEADS GUILTY TO RECKLESS MANSLAUGHTER IN FATAL SHOOTING OF ASTORIA, QUEENS DELI WORKER; TO BE SENTENCED TO UP TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that a retired New York City Police Department detective has pled guilty to Manslaughter in the Second Degree in the October 2004 fatal shooting of Manuel Chametla, an 18-year-old Astoria, Queens delicatessen worker. The defendant faces imprisonment of up to three years and will forfeit forever his right to carry a handgun.

District Attorney Brown said, “The defendant has admitted his guilt, waived his right to appeal and has acknowledged that his reckless conduct involving the handling of his licensed handgun led to the fatal shooting of a young man in the prime of his life. The penalty to be imposed by the court of up to three years’ imprisonment is both warranted and just. The defendant is a retired police officer who pledged to protect life and property and who now bears the awful burden of knowing that his recklessness took a precious human life.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as John Malik, 60, a resident of Astoria, Queens, and a retired New York City Police Department Detective. The defendant earlier today entered a plea of guilty to an indictment charging him with Manslaughter in the Second Degree and Criminally Negligent Homicide before Queens Supreme Court Justice Randall T. Eng who indicated that on June 14, 2005 he would impose an indeterminate sentence of from one year to three years in prison. The defendant has forever forfeited his privilege to carry a handgun.

District Attorney Brown said that according to the charges the defendant at approximately 10:55 p.m. on October 18, 2004 inside the Astoria Food Market at 21-01 31st Street in Astoria, Queens recklessly and with criminal negligence discharged or caused to be discharged a weapon, a licensed .380 semi-automatic Sig Sauer pistol, at or in the direction of Manuel Chametla causing his death.

The District Attorney expressed his appreciation to the Police Department’s Police Laboratory and its Firearms Analysis Section for their cooperation and assistance in the investigation.

The investigation was conducted by Detective Ron Bokina of the New York City Police Department’s 114th Precinct Detective Unit under the supervision of Lieutenant Steve Borchers, Squad Commander, and Deputy Inspector David P. Barrere, Precinct Commander, and by Detective Lieutenant Ted Wess and Detective Frank Torres of the District Attorney’s Detective Squad under the supervision of Chief Lawrence J. Festa and Deputy Chief Al D. Velardi.

Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Assistant District Attorney Nathalie Bell of the District Attorney’s Homicide Investigations Bureau under the supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Charles A. Testagrossa.