Tuesday, June 14, 2005

RETIRED NYPD DETECTIVE SENTENCED TO UP TO THREE YEARS IN PRISON FOR RECKLESS MANSLAUGHTER AND CRIMINALLY NEGLIGENT HOMICIDE IN FATAL SHOOTING OF ASTORIA DELI WORKER

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that a retired New York City Police Department detective has been sentenced to up to three years in prison for reckless manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for the October 2004 fatal shooting of Manuel Chametla, an 18-year-old Astoria, Queens delicatessen worker.

District Attorney Brown said, “The defendant admitted his guilt and now must pay for his crime. The defendant for the rest of his life will bear the burden of knowing that he who was pledged to protect life ended a precious human life by his criminal recklessness in the handling of his licensed weapon.”

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 on April 18, 2005 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. This afternoon Justice Eng imposed on the defendant an indeterminate sentence of from one year to three years in prison. The defendant additionally 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 prosecuted 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.