12 THE QUEENS COURIER • DECEMBER 21, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
police beat COMPILED BY EMILY DAVENPORT AND ROBERT POZARYCKI
105th Precinct
Southeast Queens
Cop killer gets life
without parole
A Queens Village man who shot and
killed a police offi cer two years ago will
spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Demetrius Blackwell, 37, of 212th Place
was convicted last month of fi rst-degree
murder for fatally shooting Police Offi cer
Brian Moore (pictured) of the 105th
Precinct on the night of May 2, 2015.
Queens Supreme Court Justice Gregory
Lasak ordered Blackwell on Dec. 19 to
serve the maximum sentence of life without
parole. Aft er sentencing, Newsday
reported, Lasak said, “Tell the defendant
he has a right to appeal and to get his
smirky face out of this courtroom.”
Moore and his partner, Police Offi cer
Erik Jansen, were in an unmarked police
cruiser on 212th Street near 104th Place
at 6:15 p.m. on May 2, 2015, when they
noticed Blackwell walking on the street,
motioning toward his waistband.
Law enforcement sources said the offi -
cers pulled up alongside to question him.
Th en, authorities said, Blackwell pulled
out a black handgun and began fi ring at
the cruiser. Moore was shot twice in the
head; Jansen managed to avoid being hit.
Paramedics rushed Moore to Jamaica
Hospital, where he died of his injuries two
days later. He was posthumously promoted
to detective.
Police apprehended Blackwell hours
aft er the shooting during a massive search
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of the surrounding area. Along with being
convicted of fi rst-degree murder, he was
also found guilty of attempted murder
and criminal possession of a weapon.
“While today’s sentencing cannot heal
the prolonged pain endured by Offi cer
Brian Moore’s family, friends and colleagues
for their needless loss — or erase
the emotional wounds suff ered by Offi cer
Erik Jansen and his family — I hope, however,
that it will bring some degree of closure
and comfort to those individuals
whose lives were forever changed on that
horrifi c day,” Queens District Attorney
Richard A. Brown said in a statement.
Queens Village man
found fatally shot
Police are continuing to investigate the
death of a Queens Village man who was
shot in his car just steps away from his
home.
At 4:35 a.m. on Dec. 16, police responded
to a 911 call regarding a man shot outside
of a home on 207th Street near 104th
Avenue.
Upon their arrival, law enforcement
sources said, the offi cers found 39-yearold
Mohale Ralekhetho inside a 2015
Mercedes Benz with a gunshot wound
to the neck. A 33-year-old male passenger
was also in the vehicle but was not
injured.
According to sources familiar with the
investigation, Ralekhetho, who lived on
the same block where the shooting took
place, was sitting in his car with the
male passenger when an unknown person
walked up to the car and shot a fi rearm
into the car, striking Ralekhetho in
the neck. Th e passenger then called 911.
EMS responded to the location and
declared Ralekhetho dead at the scene.
No arrests have been made at this time.
Th e investigation is ongoing.
114th Precinct
Astoria, Long Island City &
Woodside
Armed bandits rob
Woodside 7-Eleven
Police need your help in tracking down
the suspects who struck a jackpot while
robbing a Woodside convenience store
earlier this week.
Authorities said the caper took place at
11:40 p.m. on Dec. 17 inside the 7-Eleven
shop at 61-19 Northern Blvd.
According to law enforcement sources,
the perpetrators — both wearing clothing
over their faces — walked into the shop and
confronted a 46-year-old male employee.
One of the crooks displayed a handgun and
ordered the clerk to lie on the fl oor.
Th e other robber then forced a 34-yearold
male worker to open a cash register.
Police said the crook grabbed $300
in cash from the register, then forced that
worker to lie down.
Authorities said the bandits then went
through the employees’ pockets, stealing
the 34-year-old man’s cellphone and $40
in cash. Th ey also grabbed lottery tickets,
cigarettes and lighters from behind the
counter before fl eeing the scene.
Police said the unidentifi ed male suspects
wore blue coveralls, sunglasses and
blue gloves. One perpetrator wore a baseball
cap and covered his face with a scarf,
while his cohort wore a black mask over
his head and face.
Anyone with information regarding the
robbery or the suspects’ whereabouts can
call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for
Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). Information
may also be sent to the Crime Stoppers
website or by text message to 274637
(CRIMES), followed by TIP577.
Flushing bicyclist killed
in Maspeth hit-and-run
Police are looking for the truck driver
responsible for a deadly hit-and-run
in Maspeth on Monday morning that
claimed the life of a Flushing bicyclist.
At 7:48 a.m. on Dec. 18, police
responded to a 911 call regarding a bicyclist
struck near 54th Avenue and 48th
Street.
Upon their arrival, authorities said,
offi cers found Hugo Ramirez, 23, lying
in the street, unconscious and unresponsive,
with severe head and body trauma.
Paramedics responded to the scene and
rushed Ramirez to Elmhurst Hospital,
where he was pronounced dead.
A preliminary investigation by the
NYPD’s Collision Investigation Squad
found that an operator of a tractor-trailer
was traveling northbound on 48th
Street when it made a right turn at
the intersection, striking Ramirez, who
was also traveling northbound on 48th
Street. Th e operator of the tractor-trailer
did not remain on scene.
No arrests have been made, and the
investigation is ongoing.
Photo by Mari Estrella