Monday, July 18, 2005

D.A. BROWN: QUEENS VILLAGE RESIDENT CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER IN SHOTGUN SHOOTING OF TWO POLICE OFFICERS FOLLOWING DECAPITATION OF STATUE OUTSIDE CATHOLIC CHURCH; FACES UP TO 25 YEARS TO LIFE IN PRISON

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced today that an alleged gunman has been charged with attempted murder and other charges in a violent and near-lethal shotgun shooting incident early yesterday outside a Catholic Church in Queens Village that left two police officers seriously wounded and a religious statue decapitated.

District Attorney Brown said, “The defendant, while armed with a shotgun, is alleged to have attempted to cause the death of two uniformed New York City police officers -- Police Officers Dominic Romano and David Harris -- by firing repeatedly at them with a shotgun and seriously wounding them after he had allegedly used the weapon to decapitate a statue of Saint Anne and the Virgin Mary. Despite serious and possibly life-threatening wounds, Police Officer Harris returned fire, striking and wounding the defendant who was then apprehended. A passerby who is a nurse acted immediately as a good Samaritan using his shirt as a tourniquet to prevent Police Officer Harris from bleeding to death. Police Officer Romano was struck in the back and head and his life was probably saved by his bullet-resistant vest. This case is another example of the dangers that our police officers face in their continuing efforts to fight crime.”

The District Attorney identified the defendant as Kevin Davy, 25, of 217-06 104th Avenue in Queens Village, Queens. The defendant is being held in police custody at Mary Immaculate Hospital to await arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on charges of Attempted Murder in the First Degree; Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree as a Hate Crime and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree. He faces a sentence of up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.

District Attorney Brown said that according to the criminal charges, at 2:17 a.m. yesterday morning outside Saint Joachim and Saint Anne Parish on Hollis Avenue near 217th Lane in Queens Village, the defendant, while armed with a shotgun, tire iron and metal sword, damaged and decapitated a statue of Saint Anne and the Virgin Mary and then fired repeatedly at Police Officers Romano and Harris of the 105th Precinct who were responding to a report of shots fired at that location.

The District Attorney said that it is further alleged that the defendant fired repeatedly at the police officers striking Police Officer Romano in the chest and head and seriously wounding him and striking Police Officer Harris in the right leg and left thumb and seriously wounding him, as well.

District Attorney Brown said that the defendant, who was also wounded in an exchange of gunfire, was immediately apprehended and the weapon, a 12 gauge shotgun along with the sword and tire iron were recovered.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Vance T. Kuhner of the District Attorney’s Homicide Investigations Bureau under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Peter T. Reese, Bureau Chief, and Peter J. McCormack III, Deputy Bureau Chief, and Senior Assistant District Attorney Richard B. Schaeffer, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Charles A. Testagrossa and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Daniel A. Saunders.

It should be noted that criminal charges are merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.