Great Work by Yonkers Police
By Dan Murphy
On Friday, September 25, Yonkers Police officers and FBI agents, pulled over Darren Smith, of New Rochelle, in Getty Square, Yonkers. After law enforcement officers attempted to stop Smith’s car, he fled on foot with a handgun.
As officers, including a FBI Task Force Officer, attempted to arrest him, Smith fired his handgun into Getty Square in Yonkers. As the FBI Task Force Officer attempted to control Smith’s hand to prevent him firing again, Smith struggled to turn the gun in the Task Force Officer’s direction and continued to fire.
Smith, 24, of New Rochelle, is charged with one count of attempting to murder a federal officer, one count of using a deadly weapon to interfere with the performance of a federal officer’s official duties, and one count of discharging a firearm in the course of a crime of violence. If convicted, Smith could face life in prison.
Yonkers Police Commissioner John Mueller said: “As this was one of the most depraved and reckless acts I have witnessed in my 28 years in law enforcement, the response by our Yonkers Police Officers was also one of the most heroic and selfless acts I have witnessed in my career. We often hear how our police officers run toward danger, without consideration for their own well-being.
“In this incident, everyone who views the video can attest to the validity of this often used term. As Yonkers Police Commissioner, I could not be prouder of the officers and supervisors that God has blessed me to work with. Thank you also to the outpouring of support from our beloved community who have inundated the Yonkers Police with well wishes and gratitude.”
Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “As alleged, the defendant fired a handgun into a commercial hub in Yonkers and, in a further wanton disregard for human life, attempted to direct his fire at a federal law enforcement officer. Our Office will work to ensure that those who put our law enforcement partners in danger are held to account.”
FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said: “When this subject allegedly fired his gun wildly into a public square to prevent his arrest, police officers, including a task force officer from our Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, took immediate action.We take our oath seriously, and we won’t back away from our pursuit of holding criminals accountable for their actions.”
Yonkers PBA President Keith Olson said, “Today, once again, I was reminded of how fortunate and blessed I am to work for, and alongside, the absolute best cops on the planet. My brothers and sisters unparalleled heroism and restraint was on full display in Getty Square today as they safely and courageous apprehended a dangerous and armed felon who was hell bent on killing them. They accomplished this without firing a single shot and while using minimal force. Once again they risked their lives to protect the lives of innocent bystanders. I am profoundly moved by their courage and dedication in doing what is all too often a thankless job.”
Olson raised another point. That the officers had to take down the shooter by placing a knee on his back in order to handcuff him and take away his gun. “If you watch the video you can clearly see that officers couuld have been charged if the incident occurred in NYC.”
The law in NYC is, “This bill establishes a misdemeanor for restraining an individual in a manner that restricts the flow of air or blood by compressing the windpipe or the carotid arteries on each side of the neck, or sitting, kneeling, or standing on the chest or back in a manner that compresses the diaphragm, in the course of effecting or attempting to effect an arrest.”
While most of the comments on social media were positive and thankful of the YPD, a few comments were negative, in which Olson responded,
“you think it’s ok that if a cop has just stopped a mass shooting, disarming a suspect with a loaded .40 cal handgun as the suspect fired 5 rounds trying to kill the cops, with the cops not firing a single round, that they should be charged with a misdemeanor just because they may have compressed the suspects diaphragm for a moment, knowing the suspect was not harmed?”
