Police are looking for Oliver Berry, 23, of 115-31 158th St. in South…
By Courtney Dentch
Detectives at the 113th Precinct in South Jamaica are seeking help in finding a 23-year-old man accused of fatally shooting a man after a near traffic accident about two weeks ago.
Police are looking for Oliver Berry, 23, of 115-31 158th St. in South Jamaica, who goes by the street name “Fuzzy” and allegedly shot Josiah Salley, 27, also of South Jamaica, at the corner of Foch and Guy R. Brewer boulevards on July 16, said Detective Charles Schmidt, of the 113th Precinct.
The shooting arose from an incident earlier that afternoon, when Berry and Salley nearly had collided in their cars at the same intersection at about 1:30 p.m., Schmidt said.
The drivers, Berry in a dark gray or black old-model Honda Accord, and Salley in a small white Honda, got out of their cars and started to scuffle, Schmidt said. People in the area came forward to stop the fight and both men left the area, he said. Berry was driving with a woman and a child, and Salley had a friend in the passenger seat, he said.
About a half an hour later, Salley and his passenger drove by the corner and spotted Berry and a friend standing on the sidewalk, Schmidt said. Salley stopped his car to apologize for the earlier incident, but Berry supposedly yelled an insult and pulled out a handgun, allegedly firing several times at Salley, Schmidt said.
Salley was struck once in the left arm and the left side of the chest, and his lung and heart were perforated, Schmidt said. He was pronounced dead at Mary Immaculate Hospital. The passenger was not hit, Schmidt said.
After viewing police photographs, both Berry’s friend and Salley’s passenger identified the shooter as Berry, Schmidt said. Attempts to locate Berry at his last known address have been unsuccessful, and police are looking for information that could lead to his arrest, Schmidt said.
Berry, who also uses the aliases “Tuck” or “Chris Tucker,” is described as a 22-year-old black man, about 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds, with shoulder-length dreadlocks, Schmidt said.
Rewards may be available for information on Berry’s whereabouts, and people with information should call the tips hot line at 577-TIPS, Schmidt said. Callers can remain anonymous, he said. People can also call the precinct at 712-2097, Schmidt said.
Reach reporter Courtney Dentch by e-mail at TimesLedger@aol.com, or by phone at 229-0300 Ext. 138.
