OPINION:
The message in New York City is clear: Don’t try to defend yourself or anyone else from violence. If you do, you will be prosecuted by the district attorney’s office.
New Yorkers are likely to be familiar with two recent cases.
• Jose Alba, a 61-year-old bodega worker, fatally stabbed an ex-convict who attacked him behind the counter.
• Daniel Penny, a Marine Corps veteran, was charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for fatally restraining a man who was threatening to kill others on a New York subway.
Public outcry caused prosecutors to eventually drop the case against Mr. Alba, but he had to spend time in Rikers Island prison because he initially faced $250,000 bail.
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Last week, police say, Mr. Valerio shot and wounded a man who tried to steal wine before assaulting the store owner’s brother. Mr. Valerio is a concealed handgun permit holder, a rare breed in New York City. Now, Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz is seeking to put Mr. Valerio behind bars.
Mr. Valerio says that the gun was fired by accident when he came to the aid of his brother. But it was a defensive gun use, and the store owner should have been allowed even to intentionally shoot the assailant.
The 20-year-old suspect is charged only with petty theft, but not the more serious charge of assault. And while Mr. Valerio faces the possibility up to seven years in prison, the theft suspect faces a maximum sentence of just 364 days.
United Bodegas of America supports Mr. Valerio. “The videotape shows Valerio did not intentionally discharge his weapon,” the organization said.
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“I’m sorry for them because they are good people,” said Russell Dickerson, a 56-year-old basketball coach and restaurant owner who frequents the store. “I can’t say anything bad about them. They take care of their customers, and they run a good business.”
While New York persecutes law-abiding people who try to protect themselves and others, criminals are often let go scot-free. New numbers show that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has downgraded 60% of felonies to lesser charges, almost always to mere misdemeanors.
At the same time, left wing prosecutors aren’t going after real criminals and crime is increasing, with reported violent crime (murder, rape, robbery, felony assault) in New York City up by 32% in 2023. Amid such leniency, reported murder rates are now up 23% from 2019 levels. At the same time, the rate at which people are reporting crime to police has plummeted, so the real spike in crime is much larger than the numbers show. Total crime, reported and unreported, has soared in cities of more than 1 million people.
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Unfortunately, while much of the news coverage focuses on Mr. Bragg, Ms. Katz shows that the problems with New York City prosecutors go much deeper.
Mr. Valerio already faces massive legal costs due to this travesty of justice. Whatever the case’s final outcome, the uncertainty of it will be both financially and emotionally draining.
* Original Article:
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/may/29/dont-defend-yourself-in-new-york-city/?utm_source=smartnews.com&utm_medium=smartnews&utm_campaign=smartnews%20
