NYC Parolee Convicted of Killing Police Officer, One Other
A New York City parolee was convicted Monday for killing a Nassau County police officer and another man in 2012.
Darrell Fuller, 34, could face a life sentence without parole after being convicted Monday of first-degree murder, robbery and weapon charges that came from the 2012 killing of Nassau County Police Officer Arthur Lopez. He also carjacked Raymond Facey and killed him near Belmont Park racetrack on Long Island.
The Nassau County courtroom was packed with the victims' relatives. Once the verdict was read quietly aloud, they wept. Fuller was found guilty on seven charges, including first and second degree homicide.
Police officers joined the victims' families in the seven-week long trial and were very upset about Lopez's death.
"This was a police officer that was a building block of this police department, the future of this police department," Police Benevolent Association President James Carver said. "That is what his life was all about was helping the public."
Facey's 23-year-old daughters also spoke to reporters. They were sad that their father was gone but pleased that Fuller was convicted.
"We can't bring Daddy back, but this is such a blessing that we know who did it. We know we got the right person," Abbigail Jones said.
According to prosecutors, Lopez and his partner Clarence Hudson were patrolling near the border of Nassau and Queens Counties. That's when they saw a car being driven by Fuller run into a van. Fuller fled the crash scene because he was scared of being stopped with a loaded weapon while on parole, prosecutors added. The officers continued to follow him as he headed for the highway.
Fuller exited the highway and Lopez encountered him. He was out of his vehicle at this time. When Lopez approached him with a stun gun, Fuller shot him from about five feet away in the chest. Lopez was not wearing a bullet proof vest and died at the hopsital from the gunshot.
Fuller wasn't done there, prosecutors said. He shot Facey, who was pulled over while making a phone call, and stole his car, Newsday reports.
Fuller continued to try and escape authorities by fleeing into Queens. He was arrested hours later.
Before being arrested, authorities say that Fuller called a friend and asked him to shoot him in the arm to make it look like he was a victim.
Fuller served four years in prison in 2005 for attempted murder and another year in 2010 for drug charges.
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