Trini charged with killing two NY cops

A TRINIDADIAN appeared in a Brooklyn Criminal Court yesterday charged with the first degree murder of two New York detectives. Marlon Legere, 28, allegedly killed the policemen when they responded to a report last Friday that he was beating his mother. He reportedly shot the two policemen, but in his attempt to escape, was wounded by one of the dying officers. Dressed in hospital garb and strapped to a wheelchair, Legere was yesterday wheeled before Judge William Mc Quire to answer the charges, which also included robbery and criminal possession of a weapon. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded without bail. Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Taub told the court that prosecutors had an overwhelming case against Legere in the deaths of 67th Precinct detectives Robert Parker and Patrick Rafferty.

The detectives had responded to a call from Legere’s mother complaining that her son had run off with her car after assaulting her. “I can’t imagine any circumstance whatsoever that will not result in the defendant being convicted of first-degree murder and spending the rest of his life in prison,” Taub said. Defence attorney Wayne Bodden said his client had not eaten nor slept since his arrest Friday night. Bodden later told reporters he believed a combination of injuries inflicted by police and questioning by police had made Legere unable to sleep. Bodden expressed doubt that a wounded Legere confessed to police. The judge noted the death penalty was not an option because the state Court of Appeal said the law was unconstitutional because of the statutory requirement that jurors in the penalty phase be told that a deadlock would make the defendant eligible for parole someday.

Legere was accused of killing the officers and then hijacking a car to escape. Legere was caught about a half mile from the shooting scene. Officials said seven shots were fired from Legere’s gun, with two striking Rafferty in the chest and one hitting him in the right leg. Parker was hit four times, twice in the chest and twice in the leg, officials said. Legere received wounds to his feet after Rafferty fired his service handgun, according to investigators. Parker called 911 on his cell phone and told a dispatcher there was a mug shot of the shooter on the dash board of the police vehicle. Legere was charged with four counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. Conviction on murder would lead to a possible life sentence.