Sept. 5, 2017 -- Westchester County District Attorney Anthony A. Scarpino, Jr. announced today that Nathan Irizarry (DOB 12/16/77) of 448 Commonwealth Avenue, Bronx, NY was sentenced to fifteen years in state prison by Judge Barbara Zambelli after having been found guilty by a jury of:

  • two counts of Assault On a Police Officer, class “C” Violent Felonies.

On November 14, 2015, at approximately 12:30 a.m., two Mount Pleasant Police Officers, Sgt. Mike McGuinn and Police Officer Luke Oliveri responded to Route 117 near Rockefeller State Park on reports of drag racing in progress.

The officers attempted to stop a car being driven by the defendant but he pulled away at a high rate of speed. At approximately 12:50 a.m., the police again encountered the defendant’s car on Route 117. The police stopped the vehicle and ordered the defendant out of the car. The defendant refused to get out of the car.  As the officers were attempting to physically remove him from the car, standing at the driver’s side door with the door open, the defendant put his car in reverse at a high rate of speed.

The defendant’s vehicle dragged Sgt. McGuinn, who got pinned underneath the driver’s side door, about fifty yards. McGuinn was only released when an ammunition pouch on his gun belt broke off as he was being dragged. Police Officer Oliveri was hit by the driver’s side door, was knocked unconscious for a brief time and suffered post concussive syndrome which resulted in chronic daily headaches and other neurological symptoms.  Sgt. McGuinn injured his shoulder which required two surgeries, his knee which suffered shattered bones and his ribs which were broken.  The defendant fled the scene. The police officers were able to get a partial license plate as well as a description of the car and the defendant.

An intensive investigation was undertaken by The Mount Pleasant Police Department, The New York City Police Department, The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, The Westchester County Department of Public Safety and The Westchester County Intelligence Center.

The defendant was arrested on Feb. 17, 2016 after he was identified in a line up. 

Officer Oliveri, after being unable to work for ten months, has since returned to work as a Mount Pleasant Police Officer.  Sgt. McGuinn has been unable to return to work as a result of his injuries.

The defendant was remanded into the custody of the New York State Department of Corrections.

Timothy Ward, Deputy District Attorney of the Superior Court Trial Division and Assistant District Attorney Lana Hochheiser, Deputy Chief of the Career Criminal Bureau prosecuted the case.

Nathan Irizarry

Nathan Irizarry

 In compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 3.6, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

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