Officers fill B’klyn court as accused cop killer indicted
Dozens of police officers packed a Brooklyn courtroom to catch a glimpse of accused cop killer Randy “Popper” Jones Tuesday, after a grand jury indicted him for the murder of off-duty NYPD Officer Adeed Fayaz.
Jones, 38, stood silently before Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Danny Chun, wearing an orange jail jumpsuit and a gray skullcap, in an appearance that lasted about three minutes.
Court officials moved the proceedings to a larger courtroom to accommodate the roughly 60 uniformed officers who sat six abreast in the gallery seats and stood along the back wall.
Jones’ family members, including several young children, filled a row, blowing kisses and yelling, “Love you!” and “Bye, dad!” as he left the courtroom. They declined to comment after the proceedings.
Jones remains held without bail, accused of killing Fayaz during a botched car sale scam robbery Feb. 4. The indictment also charges Jones in a similar Jan. 13 robbery.
Fayaz and his brother-in-law met up with Jones on Ruby St. in East New York to buy a Honda Pilot advertised on Facebook Marketplace for $24,000, prosecutors allege.
They brought cash for the purchase, but left it in Fayaz’s car.
Jones brought the pair to an alley before asking, “Are you guys carrying a gun?” then placed Fayaz in a headlock, cops said.
He held his gun to the officer’s head and demanded his money, but the young cop broke free when Jones aimed his weapon at the brother-in-law, police said.
Jones then shot Fayaz in the head and ran off, prosecutors said. Fayaz’s brotherin-law grabbed the fallen officer’s gun and started shooting, firing off six bullets while Jones returned fire with five rounds of his own, prosecutors said. One of the bullets hit the getaway vehicle, and Jones later tried to cover up the bullet hole with a piece of tape, according to the DA.
Fayaz, 26, died three days later.
The Jan. 13 robbery followed a similar script, but ended without bloodshed. Jones met with another man at the same spot, after advertising a Honda Odyssey for sale on Facebook Marketplace, prosecutors charge.
He pulled a gun on the buyer, and took $18,000, according to the district attorney.
More than 100 cops also showed up at Jones’ Brooklyn Criminal Court arraignment last month, when he was ordered held without bail.
“We’re grateful for this first step towards justice. Now the process needs to move swiftly and surely toward the correct verdict,” Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch said Tuesday. “This is a ruthless criminal who not only preys on defenseless New Yorkers — he didn’t hesitate to murder an armed and trained New York City police officer. He must never see the outside of prison walls again.”
Jones could face life in prison without parole if convicted of first-degree murder, the top count against him.
“Police Officer Adeed Fayaz’ death is a terrible and tragic loss for his family, friends, NYPD colleagues and the public he selflessly served,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. “My thoughts are with all who are grieving his loss, and my office will vigorously seek justice on his behalf.”
Chun adjourned the case until May 17, after defense lawyer Michael Rooney of the Legal Aid Society requested time to review grand jury minutes before making any motions.
Rooney declined to comment Tuesday.
Former President Donald Trump edged out Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis by a narrow 4% margin in a new national poll of Republican primary voters.
Trump won the support of 40% of those surveyed compared with 36% for DeSantis in the CNN poll, a narrower margin than other recent polls had shown.
Ex-UN ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence both scored 6%. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lag further behind.
The poll featured a familiar chasm between college-educated and noncollege-educated Republicans, with Trump scoring a wide lead among those without a degree and those who make less than $50,000 a year.
Trump, who declared his reelection bid last November, has been lashing out regularly at DeSantis, whom he mocks as “Ron DeSanctimonious.”
DeSantis has avoided criticizing Trump by name ahead of his planned campaign launch expected later in the spring.
Both men journeyed to Davenport, Iowa, within a couple of days of one another in the past week in a sure sign that they see one another their main rivals in the upcoming primary dog fight.
DeSantis boasted that he has transformed Florida into a GOP stronghold and the place where progressive “woke goes to die.”
Trump, who drew a noticeably bigger and more enthusiastic crowd in the firstin-the-nation caucus state, countered by harshly attacking DeSantis as a disloyal Republican in name only with strong ties to the establishment wing of the party.
Trump remains the most popular and powerful leader in the Republican Party as he heads into his third straight presidential race, even though many voters say they are hungry for a fresher face.