By Howard Koplowitz
A Queens Village man was charged with manslaughter last week in the death of his father, police said.
Tristan Powell, 23, of 109-39 213th St. in Queens Village, allegedly strangled his father, which led to a fatal heart attack, police said. He was charged last Thursday with manslaughter with intent to cause physical injury, police said.
Powell’s father, 46-year-old David Powell of 113 Morani St. in Staten Island, was identified as the victim by police. Initially, the death was suspected to be from natural causes, but the city medical examiner’s office labeled the incident a homicide, police said.
Police from the 105th Precinct were called to Powell’s home in Queens Village around 10:09 a.m. March 23 to respond to an unconscious man. When they arrived at the house, police found David Powell unconscious and unresponsive, authorities said.
An ambulance took David Powell to Long Island Jewish Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, police said.
Tristan Powell’s neighbor said they had heard he was provoked.
“I heard they had a fight,” the neighbor said of the son and the father. “He said his father tried to strangle him. It was a dispute between him and his father.”
The neighbor said Tristan Powell was a chef and was “the typical person, as far as I know.”
A member of the Powell family said Tristan had drug and alcohol abuse problems and that his father went to his home to talk to him about those problems, according to the Staten Island Advance.
Reach reporter Howard Koplowitz by e-mail at hkoplowitz@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4573.
