PELHAM - An NYPD officer from
Yonkers was charged with felony assault after he allegedly shot a random
stranger while off duty in Pelham.
Police say Cronin, who has been
with the NYPD for six years, was off duty late Tuesday night when he randomly
shot a stranger in Pelham. Cronin allegedly fired 13 shots at a man who had
pulled up in a car next to his on Lincoln Avenue, hitting him six times. The
victim, a 47-year-old New Rochelle resident, is expected to be OK.
Officer Brendan Cronin, 27,
posted bail Thursday afternoon. His driver's license was suspended as part of
his bail agreement. The Westchester DA will likely convene a grand jury next
week for the case and criminal justice experts say the charges could be
upgraded to attempted murder. Former state Assemblyman Bob Castelli, the former
Chairman of Criminal Justice at Iona College, says Cronin could also face an
additional charge of reckless endangerment.
NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton
says it appears Cronin was also drunken driving. Pelham police say Cronin
refused to take a breathalyzer test and that he may also be charged with
driving under the influence.
He has been suspended without
pay for 30 days by the NYPD.