By Mark Hallum
Demetrius Blackwell, 37, was convicted of the cold-blooded murder of NYPD Officer Brian Moore in Queens Village more than two years ago.
A jury in State Supreme Court found Blackwell responsible for the shooting of Moore in May 2015 as well as an attack on his partner. The guilty verdict on the charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder carries a sentence of life inprison without the possibility of patrol.
“The evidence of the defendant’s guilt presented at trial was truly overwhelming. The jury fairly weighed all the evidence offered by both sides before concluding– unanimously and beyond a reasonable doubt – that the defendant deliberately fired a weapon at the two police officers without provocation or warning, killing one of them,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said. “It is likely that he will never again taste another day of freedom.”
Although he was only 25, Moore was already a decorated officer with more than 150 arrests to his credit when he was on a routine patrol in an unmarked car in Queens Village. Moore and his partner, Officer Erik Jansen, stopped Blackwell on 222nd Street because they thought he was carrying a gun.
The two had witnessed Blackwell adjusting something in his waistband.
Moore called out, “Police, you got something?”
Blackwell fired three shots into the car with an illegal five-shot revolver and hit Moore in the head, prosecutors said. Jansen rushed Moore to Jamaica Hospital, where he died two days later and was posthumously promoted to detective.
Police arrested Blackwell, who lived in the area, a couple of hours after the shooting. He had gotten rid of the weapon, changed his clothes and had small amounts of cocaine and marijuana on him, the DA said.
“The defendant’s actions were a direct attack on our society and the law and soberly reminds us of the unseen dangers that our police officers face each day – and the ultimate sacrifice they may be called upon to make – as they carry out their sworn duty to protect and serve our communities,” Brown continued. “Our sympathies go out to Officer Brian Moore’s family for the loss of their loved one and the prolonged pain that they and Officer Erik Jansen and his family have had to endure as this case made its way through the criminal justice system. Although the verdict cannot bring back Brian I hope that today’s conviction brings a sense of closure and comfort to his family, friends and colleagues, knowing that his killer finally has been held accountable for his heinous and cowardly act.”
In closing arguments in State Supreme Court, prosecutors claimed Blackwell was more concerned over who had won the Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight around the time of the crime than the shooting. He was described as remorseless by Queens Assistant District Attorney Dan Saunders.
Blackwell’s court-appointed attorney, David Bart, argued the defendant was not sound of mind, according to ABC7.
“Mr. Blackwell has seizures and psychosis mixtures that show he was not responsible,” Bart said. “He acted badly, wrongly and stupidly, but it was not intent to kill.”
Blackwell faces life in prison when he is sentenced Dec. 12 without the possibility of parole.
Reach reporter Mark Hallum by e-mail at mhall
