NBC 4 New York
The man convicted of killing a veteran police officer who was responding to a burglary call in Brooklyn in 2011 has been sentenced to 45 years to life in prison after the cop's family made emotional pleas for the maximum sentence. Jonathan Dienst reports.
The man convicted of killing a veteran police officer who was responding to a burglary call in Brooklyn in 2011 has been sentenced to 45 years to life in prison after the cop's family made emotional pleas for the maximum sentence.
Lamont Pride was sentenced Thursday for second-degree murder, burglary and second-degree manslaughter in the December 2011 death of Officer Peter Figoski, 47.
Figoski, a 22-year veteran of the NYPD and father of four daughters, confronted Pride outside of a home in East New York. He was shot in the face and died at the hospital hours later.
Figoski's relatives gave passionate statements at the hearing, urging the judge to impose the maximum sentence. The judge could have chosen for a 25-year sentence to run concurrently with two others, but instead chose for the sentences to be consecutive.
One of Figoski's daughters told the judge "we would do anything to have him back." Her sister said she and her family "forget what it's like to be happy."
The officer's mother choked up as she spoke of everything her son would miss, like walking his girls down the aisle at their weddings.
"Peter will be missed by so many. Lamont Pride will be missed by no one," she said.
A supporter of Pride then yelled out in court, "He'll be missed by me."
Pride spoke briefly, apologizing to his own family but said nothing to the officer's family.
Prosecutors said Pride was part of a group of men who went to the East New York residence to rob a drug dealer.
In video recordings obtained by NBC New York's I-Team last year, Pride says he fell down while trying to escape and the gun accidentally went off.
Pride had previous arrests in New York on drug charges.
