Grand Jury Won't Indict Clarkstown Officer Who Fatally Shot Man During Domestic Violence Incident
NEW CITY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) – A grand jury has decided it will not indict a police officer who fired a fatal shot at a man during a domestic violence case in Rockland County in February.
In responding to the case on North Little Tor Road, Clarkstown police Chief Michael Sullivan said officers showed restraint, going above and beyond their training.
"You go up to a house where you've been told there's someone with a gun and they start firing at you, your first instinct is to fire back," Sullivan told WCBS 880's Marla Diamond. "These officers listened to their training, not their instincts."
Cops responded to the scene after relatives arrived at the police station to report that the man, identified by police as Vincent Cordaro, 57, had threatened to kill them.
Negotiations with Cordaro failed and a police marksman fired a fatal shot.
"This is an action that no officer ever wants to take, but it is part of the immense responsibilities we carry in law enforcement," Sullivan said in a statement Thursday.
The 14-page grand jury report cited toxicology tests showing Cordaro's blood-alcohol level to be more than twice the legal limit.
The officer who fired his gun has returned to full duty.