Convicted Queens Cop Killer Demetrius Blackwell Gets Life In Prison
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Demetrius Blackwell, the man convicted of shooting and killing NYPD Officer Brian Moore on a Queens street two years ago, was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Tuesday.
As CBS2's Erin Logan reported, Moore's mother expressed her pain and grief before her son's killer, and the judge had a stern message for him too.
Blackwell smirked as the judge delivered blistering remarks at the sentencing. He sat in court as if he had not a care in the world, and he had nothing to say to the judge.
But Queens Supreme Court Judge Gregory Lasak had a lot to say to Blackwell.
"The sentence of the court is life, your natural life without parole. To make that simple for your compromised brain, you're going to die in prison," Judge Gregory Lasak said as he handed down the sentence Tuesday. "You will never breathe fresh air outside the confines of a New York State prison."
Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch said that's the only appropriate sentence.
"This is a person that decided 'I'm going to kill a human being, a New York City police officer.' He should never breathe free air again," Lynch said. "I'd like to make sure this mope never sees the light of day again."
As the hearing wrapped up, the judge said of Blackwell "get his smirky face out of this courtroom."
Last month, Blackwell was convicted of murdering Officer Moore, 25, and attempting to murder Moore's partner, in 2015.
The officers were searching for a burglary suspect in Queens Village when they noticed Blackwell fiddling with something on his waistband. When Moore asked him, "Have you got something?" he replied with, "Yeah, I got something," and fired three shots.
Two of the shots hit Officer Moore in the head and face. He died two days later.
The officer's mother, Irene Moore, spoke inside court on how her world has been turned upside down without her son.
"My world was forever changed. My world was forever turned completely upside down, unrecognizable to me anymore. I was left wracked by pain, extreme loneliness, grief and unbearable agony. Never again will my life have any resemblance to my former life," Irene Moore said.
As CBS2's Valerie Castro reported, Moore's mother recounted the day she got the life-changing news.
"The completely unimaginable to me, and unthinkable for any mother had happened. A phone call, 'Irene, Brian was shot. I think it was in the head,'" she said. "Those words brought me to my knees, brought me to collapse on the floor."
"He'll go away for life, but he gets three meals a day, he gets to work out, he gets to read, he'll get visits from his family and friends. Brian gets none of that," Moore's father, Raymond, said after the sentencing.
Moore's partner and others picked out Blackwell from a lineup, and prosecutors said Blackwell's DNA was found on the two bullets left in the cylinder.
"It goes without question that 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," Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said in a statement. "Justly, the person responsible for causing so much pain and suffering must be punished for his criminal actions for the greater good and protection of society. Today, I am confident that the ends of justice have been served."
Blackwell was convicted last month of all charges, including first-degree murder, following his three-week trial. He declined to speak on his own behalf during his sentencing.
Blackwell's attorney still claims his client suffers from severe epilepsy, leaving his brain severely impaired. But the Assistant District Attorney for the case argued that doctors found "no evidence of mental illness; no evidence of mental disease."
There were many statements from the defense, such as, "It's not as if he shot him directly in the head," that were upsetting for Moore's family, the dozens of officers in court, and the judge.
As soon as the judge said the words, "life without parole," everyone could see the sadness, yet sense of relief on
Outside court, Officer Moore's father said he would rather have seen Blackwell executed.
"If the New York State penal system had the death penalty, like I said, I would love to see this animal put down. To me, that would be true justice," Raymond Moore said. "I understand this is the best we could do and I'm thankful for it, but Brian is still not with us."
Moore's fellow officers said the streets will be much safer without Blackwell, who also served five years in prison for attempted murder in 2000.
The Department of Corrections is still working to determine where Blackwell will serve out that life sentence. He will be held in a city facility for now.
Moore was posthumously promoted to Detective First-Grade. He'd been on the job for five years. In that time, he made 150 arrests and was awarded two medals for his duty.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
