Elmsford Man Sentenced in Shooting of Off-Duty Police Officer
Taqiy Walton (DOB 3/27/81) of Elmsford, was sentenced Jan. 11 by Judge Anne Minihan to 14 years in state prison after having pled guilty to one count of Assault in the First Degree, a class “B” Violent Felony; one count of Attempted Assault in the First Degree, a class “C” Violent Felony; one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class “C” Violent Felony in the shooting of a retired Greenburgh police officer.
On July 13, 2015 at approximately 3:45 p.m., the victim was mowing his lawn in Elmsford when he spotted a car in the driveway of a home across the street, which he knew to be vacant. The victim, along with his son, a current Greenburgh police officer, went over to investigate.
That is when two men, one of whom was the defendant, emerged from the house. The victim and his son began to inquire why they were there. Both the defendant and his accomplice became belligerent towards the victim and his son.
As the victim and his son turned to leave, the defendant fired a semi-automatic pistol towards them, striking the victim twice, once in the torso and once in the arm. Both defendants then drove away. The victim’s son was able to take down the license plate of the vehicle that the defendants used to flee the scene.
An extensive pursuit took place involving several police departments. Walton and the co-defendant were apprehended by Yonkers Police on the Sprain Brook Parkway in Yonkers.
The next day, a K-9 from the New York State Police located the pistol not far from where the defendants were arrested.
Walton was remanded into the custody of the New York State Department of Corrections.
On January 5, 2017, the co-defendant was sentenced to three and a half years in state prison after having pled guilty to Burglary in the Second Degree, a class “C” Felony.
Assistant District Attorney Julia Cornachio of the Superior Court Trial Division prosecuted the case.
