Court Documents: Pride Says He Accidentally Fired Fatal Shot That Killed NYPD Officer Figoski
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The New York City man charged with firing the shot that killed a police officer responding to a report of a break-in said in court papers he didn't mean to fire the gun and he is sorry that it happened.
Lamont Pride and four others have pleaded not guilty in the death of Officer Peter Figoski. The 22-year veteran was killed responding as backup to a report of a break-in at a Brooklyn apartment.
1010 WINS Reporter Juliet Papa was at a Brooklyn courthouse
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According to the court papers, Pride told officers that the gun went off accidentally and he wasn't intending to fire. His attorney had no comment after a brief hearing Wednesday.
However, Pride has made several statements over a period of four days and in each one his story changed. Originally he told police that he was in the apartment to buy marijuana and that somebody else came in to rob the drug dealer. Eventually he admitted that he was there to commit the robbery and that the gun went off when he clenched his hand in surprise at the sight of a police officer.
Pride said that after firing his weapon he maneuvered around Figoski and ran away. In a statement to police he attempted to express remorse for what he had done.
"I'm, sorry for what I did. I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't want to kill a cop. It went wrong and I'm sorry. I can't take it back," he said.
Pride's hearing was packed with police officers, and PBA President Pat Lynch expressed the NYPD's continuing grief over the loss of their fellow officer.
"New York City police officers are starting this year with sadness in their hearts," Lynch said.
The statements by the other suspects blame Pride for the shooting and for hatching the plot to rob a drug dealer.
Was it an accident or did Pride pull the trigger with intent to kill? Let us know what you think in our comments section below...
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