NYPD Shoots and Kills Man on Lifetime Parole After Queens Robbery Spree
Gary Worthy, 57, with 17 prior arrests and lifetime parole status, was shot dead by police in Jamaica, Queens, after robbing two stores. An officer and bystander were also wounded.
Queens Shootout Reignites Debate Over Criminal Justice Reform
A police shooting in Jamaica, Queens, on Tuesday night left a repeat offender dead and renewed sharp questions about bail and parole policy in New York, abc7ny.com reports.
Gary Worthy, 57, was shot and killed by NYPD officers after he robbed two businesses and fired at pursuing police. In the chaos, Officer Rich Wong and an unidentified female bystander were also struck by gunfire.
A lengthy record, a lifetime parole
Worthy was on lifetime parole — a status assigned only to individuals deemed persistently dangerous — stemming from a firearms possession conviction. He had been released from Otisville Correctional Facility in November 2021 after serving 12 years. His criminal history stretched back decades: in 1994 he was charged with murder and pleaded guilty to manslaughter; in 2008 he was arrested for attempted criminal possession of a weapon, drug possession and burglary.
Since receiving lifetime parole status in 2021, Worthy had been arrested in seven separate incidents. His total arrest count stood at 17.
How the shooting unfolded
Authorities say Worthy held up two Queens businesses on Tuesday evening — the Village Market and Grill at 164-01 Hillside Avenue and a smoke shop at 92-18 Guy R Brewer Boulevard — firing a single shot from an illegal firearm inside each establishment to compel compliance from staff and customers. When officers confronted him, Worthy fled and opened fire on them. Officers returned fire and killed him.
Wong, a seven-year NYPD veteran assigned to the 103rd Precinct and working as a neighborhood coordination officer, was shot in the thigh. He was discharged from hospital Wednesday morning and was met with a clap-out from fellow officers. A 26-year-old woman was struck in the leg after leaving a nearby Target on Jamaica Avenue. Investigators are working to determine whether she was hit by the same bullet that struck Wong or by a ricochet; she had been standing behind Wong and his partner at the time of the confrontation.
A warrant already issued — and ignored
Worthy had been suspected in three additional gunpoint robberies at Queens businesses between October 31 and November 15, with a warrant issued for his arrest the Thursday before the fatal shooting. Each of those incidents followed the same pattern: a single shot fired at the outset to intimidate victims.
His most recent arrest, the Wednesday before the shootout, was for felony narcotics possession and resisting arrest. He was arraigned and released on his own recognizance. That charge was not bail-eligible under state law.
In August, prosecutors had sought a combined $120,000 bail across two felony cases, citing the nature of the offences and Worthy's record. The court declined and released him. On the same day, the state parole authority separately sought to have him remanded pending parole violation proceedings on an outstanding warrant. The court released him on that matter as well, according to a statement from the Queens District Attorney's Office.
"Why would he be afraid?"
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry was direct in his criticism. "He was arrested seven consecutive times and he was never remanded, he was never held in — why?" Hendry said. "Why on Earth would he be afraid to shoot a New York City police officer? Because he knew he had been arrested 17 times and he didn't think anything would happen to him."
Former NYPD Chief of Detectives Bob Boyce noted that lifetime parole is reserved for individuals the state considers too dangerous to release without permanent oversight. "The purpose of lifetime parole is to be constantly monitored for the rest of your life — you're a dangerous individual and the state is taking a chance by letting you go," Boyce said.
Thousands on lifetime supervision across New York
According to the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, 2,647 individuals across New York State are currently on community supervision with a maximum sentence of life. Of those, 1,595 — roughly 60% — are assigned to an area office within the five boroughs of New York City.
Source: Google News JM — Crime