Suspect Indicted in Chappaqua Deli Shooting of Doctor
The suspect apprehended in the revenge shooting of a doctor outside a Chappaqua deli in August was indicted Tuesday on three felony counts, including attempted murder in the second degree.
Hengjun Chao, 59, of Tuckhoe pleaded not guilty to all three charges in the Aug. 29 shooting of Dr. Dennis Charney in front of Lange’s Little Store and Delicatessen on King Street. Chao was also arraigned on first-degree criminal use of a firearm and first-degree assault charges.
Chao parked his vehicle across the street in the Walgreen’s parking lot on King Street and waited to cross the street until Charney exited the store at about 7 a.m., according to the Westchester County district attorney’s office.
When the victim left the deli, Chao allegedly retrieved a loaded shotgun from the trunk of his car. He walked toward the victim, aimed and fired one shot, hitting Charney in the shoulder and chest area, authorities said.
The defendant was subsequently arrested by New Castle Police officers. After being taken into custody, he told police that he shot the victim.
Charney was hospitalized for five days following the attack.
Chao, a research assistant professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, was fired in May 2009 by a committee that included Charney. Charney has been dean of the school and was Chao’s supervisor.
Bail was set at $1 million. Chao, who faces up to 25 years in jail, is due to return to court on Nov. 1.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
