AG probes case of cop in pal-slay rap
New law puts Tish in charge of L.I. shoot
The state attorney general’s office is investigating the death of a Long Island man who was allegedly shot dead by his best friend, an off-duty NYPD rookie cop, officials said Friday.
The Attorney General’s office “asserted jurisdiction” over the fatal shooting of 25-year-old Christopher Curro in Farmingdale and was “investigating the incidents surrounding the shooting,” state officials said.
“As with every investigation, we will follow the facts of this case and work tirelessly to provide the transparency and accountability that all our communities deserve,” Attorney General Letitia
James said in a statement.
An executive order signed by Gov. Cuomo in 2015 automatically appoints the state attorney general as a special prosecutor anytime an unarmed civilian is killed by a law enforcement officer, officials said.
Off-duty NYPD Police Officer Errick Allen, 26, was taken into custody Tuesday night after the killing.
Allen allegedly shot Curro five times after a roadside argument escalated to bloodshed, then ran home, leaving his friend dead in the street, the victim’s family said.
He came back a short time later with his father and was quickly taken in for questioning by Nassau County homicide detectives summoned to the scene after a passing driver spotted Curro’s body.
City police sources indicated the shooting occurred when Allen tried to break up an escalating fight between his friend and a third man, though Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder described the slaying as “an altercation between two gentlemen.”
No charges had been filed against Allen as of Friday.
Curro and Allen were friends since childhood, sleeping over at each other’s homes before both graduated from Farmingdale High School, the victim’s stepmom said.
The county medical examiner told family that Curro was shot twice in the head, twice in the neck and once in the shoulder during the fatal clash, she said.
“This wasn’t self-defense, this was an execution,” the stepmother told the Daily News Wednesday.
On Thursday, she said she had yet to hear from Allen’s family, despite their closeness, and was still waiting for answers from police.
“We haven’t heard from cops. I think they’re keeping everything (quiet) until they know all the answers,” she said. “You have one kid who’s not talking, and another who can’t. So they don’t want to speculate.”
Allen had recently graduated from the NYPD Police Academy and was assigned to the 109th Precinct in Queens. He has been suspended by the NYPD for 30 days without pay.