New York’s Staten Island. A Staten Island man found guilty of shooting an NYPD detective was called to the defense table on Friday for sentencing, seated with relatives in a courtroom otherwise packed with law enforcement.
Nelson Pizarro, 42, entered a guilty plea to second-degree attempted murder in August and will be serving a 16-year sentence upstate. The accusations, which were brought before the state Supreme Court in St. George, were related to an event that happened in New Springville on January 20, 2022.
In support of Det. Dominick Libretti, who was shot in the leg during the incident, dozens of NYPD policemen and detectives attended the hearing on Friday.
Wearing a gray sweatsuit and black sneakers, Pizarro discreetly handed over a bag of necessities to court authorities on the other side of the gallery. Among them was an extra set of spectacles in case he needed them for a long period of incarceration.
Following a heartfelt hug with his mother, a kiss from his fiancée, and some words of support from his brother, Pizarro sat next to his lawyer. He held a James Patterson novel and a knit skull hat in his hands, crossed behind his back.
This file photo shows Judge Mario F. Mattei. (Priya Shahi/Staten Island Advance)Shahi Priya
Before imposing the punishment, Justice Mario F. Mattei asked the defendant whether he had any final remarks.
“Yes, sir,” Pizarro said. I hope that no other member of the detective’s or my families is ever placed in a similar situation.
According to Mattei, he thought the punishment was suitable in light of the case’s facts.
According to Mattei, this was an attack on the community as a whole, not only on Detective Libretti. Because of what you did, you are receiving a sentence of nearly twenty years in prison.
Pizarro mouthed the words “I love you” to his family as he was led away by police. His mother broke out in tears.
He might have spent decades, if not the rest of his life, behind bars if a jury had found him guilty on the most serious charges.
Shots fired
Pizarro peered out of a back bedroom as detectives shouted, “Police! Search warrant!” according to a police source who spoke to the New York Post at the time of the event. ducked back into the room and started shooting.
NYPD officials provided a less thorough version, stating that Pizarro fired multiple shots at cops, many of which struck Libretti’s shield.
During the gunfight, Pizarro was shot in the leg, and one bullet struck a house nearby. A source told the Advance/SILive.com that during the shootout, the defendant’s dog was hit and killed.
No-knock raid
In what the defense has called a “no-knock raid,” Pizarro has insisted he was not aware that officers had entered the home. “I believe they are being robbed,” he stated.
A former NFL player was among the family members and friends who assisted the defendant in posting a $5 million bond months after his arrest.
Yan Katsnelson, the defense lawyer, stated on Friday that his client was pleased to get the issue resolved and reiterated that his client was unaware that the police were involved.
He emphasized that he accepts full responsibility for what he did that tragic morning. He is grateful that although there were injuries, no one passed away as a result of them.
“He would never have shot at them if he had known they were police officers attempting to carry out a search warrant for a crime he had nothing to do with,” Katsnelson added.
Mr. Pizzaro declared that he would never purposefully hurt police officers. He has always had the highest regard for his friends and family that work as police officers.
When Pizarro was arrested, he told detectives as much. Will the cop be alright? I believed I was being robbed.
Katsnelson urged the NYPD to develop a more effective method for carrying out and implementing search warrants on Friday.
According to him, each officer should have body-worn cameras that record the activities that take place during the raids. The NYPD ought to do away with warrants for no-knock searches.
He advised the public to be aware that the NYPD is breaking into private homes.
There are several safer methods to guarantee that the individuals the NYPD is looking for are captured without endangering the public or NYPD police.
A request for comment on Katsnelson’s allegations was not immediately answered by the NYPD on Friday night.
Drug investigation, prior convictions
According to authorities at the time, the raid was carried out against a co-defendant in the case.
In December 2023, 44-year-old Anthony Marshall, known as Twink in previous reports, entered a guilty plea to gun-related crimes before Mattei. In addition, he admitted to selling cocaine illegally.
In return, according to documents, he is doing a seven-year term at Bare Hill Correctional Facility in Malone, New York.
Large quantities of drugs were being dealt through the New Springville residence, according to an investigation conducted before the raid.
Records reveal a history of drug trafficking on the Island for both Marshall and Pizarro.
Marshall was one of 39 people detained in the Operation Mayberry narcotics bust in 2013.
Pizarro was one of 23 individuals detained during a Staten Island drug bust in 2005, during which the NYPD found 4.3 pounds of cocaine and $350,000 in cash.
Defendant known in social circles, judge s decision draws ire of police
According to defendant associates and social media posts, Pizarro was active in and appeared to be well-liked in a Staten Island recreational basketball league and motorcycle gang in the years preceding the shooting.
He was put under house arrest pending the case’s resolution after posting bail. Local law enforcement was upset that a judge had let him to work as a professional driver during that period. It was unclear what the position included.
According to social media posts, Pizarro planned a back-to-school drive on the Island as the case’s resolution approached.
Decorated NYPD veteran
This image shows NYPD Det. Dominick Libretti being led out of Ocean Breeze’s Staten Island University Hospital. (Joseph Ostapiuk/Staten Island Advance)
After ten years with the department, Libretti shot his pistol on the job for the first time, a police source told the Post hours after the shooting event.
A few weeks later, the renowned NYPD veteran was honored in Tottenville with a parade attended by scores of locals.
This was definitely an emotional day for me, just knowing that I m alive and I made it out of that house that morning, Libretti said at the event.
It was a great turnout, very emotional, he said. It made me choke up at some points, just to see how many people came out for this.
Libretti, who was showered with handshakes and pats on the back Friday from fellow officers outside the courtroom, declined to comment further on the case.
Unwavering commitment to justice
District Attorney Michael E. McMahon issued a statement Friday, saying in part: Armed with a loaded and illegal firearm, Pizarro jeopardized the lives of countless members of New York s Finest including Detective Dominick Libretti, a courageous Staten Islander . . . Violence committed against members of law enforcement will never be tolerated on Staten Island . . . Justice was served today.
He went on to commend the proud men and women of the NYPD who put their lives on the line each and every day for our safety.
In addition, today s outcome would not have been possible if not for the indefatigable efforts and unwavering commitment to justice displayed by Trials Bureau Chief Antonia Assenso and Executive Assistant District Attorney Lisa Davis.
Because of their efforts, Nelson Pizarro will be held fully accountable and spend nearly the next two decades behind bars for his reprehensible and cowardly criminal actions.
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