Justin Murrell, 19, was taken into custody early Sunday - Screenshot courtesy of CBS News

Justin Murrell, 19, was taken into custody early Sunday - Screenshot courtesy of CBS News

Teen gang member on parole for paralyzing NYPD cop in 2017 busted in stolen car after pursuit

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NEW YORK CITY, NY – A teenage gang member who permanently paralyzed an NYPD detective while fleeing a traffic stop in a stolen vehicle in 2017 was arrested early Sunday after he was involved in a high-speed chase in another stolen vehicle while on parole.

Police said Justin Murrell, 19, ran a red light and led police on a chase early Sunday morning in East New York.

According to authorities, Murrell was driving recklessly and blew through a red light, eventually leading officers on the high-speed chase and smashing into several cars near Van Sinderen and New Lots Avenues.

Murrell then fled on foot, but was capture by police around 1: 20 a.m.

At the time of his arrest, Murrell was on parole for running down and dragging an officer while fleeing in a stolen vehicle. His parole was scheduled to end in two weeks.

In 2017, Murrell was convicted of stealing a car and then dragging Officer Dalsh Veve two and a half blocks, nearly killing him.

When Murrell tried to flee in the stolen vehicle, he dragged Veve. Veve held into the vehicle for several blocks before being thrown from the vehicle. During the incident, Veve did fire a shot which struck Murrell in the face.

Murrell, 16 at the time, survived and was convicted of assault, but was acquitted of attempted murder.

Veve, who was promoted to detective following the incident, was left with severe brain damage.

In this latest incident, police were responding to a ShotSpotter alert of a gunshot discharged when they observed a Honda drive through a red light in the area.

The 2021 Honda had been reported stolen on May 15 from Resorts World Casino in Queens.

The driver, later identified by police as Murrell, sped away from the officers who tried to stop the vehicle, and he crashed the Honda into several parked vehicles, a police spokesman said.

The crash resulted in Murrell fleeing on foot. Officers chased him and three other occupants of the vehicle, including a 15-year-old boy, a 44-year-old woman, and another adult woman.

Police eventually released the three passengers, but arrested Murrell.

Murrell was charged with grand larceny of an automobile, reckless endangerment, possession of stolen property, and disobeying a traffic light.

Although he faced a maximum 10-year sentence, Murrell was prosecuted as an adult, but sentenced as a juvenile to just one and one-third to four years in detention. 

Murrell has been released on parole in March 2020 for the 2017 incident, and his parole was set to expire on June 10, law-enforcement sources said.

Sources said Murrell has 12 prior arrests, including the Veve case.

Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch remarked about the arrest on Sunday:

‘Is anyone surprised? This perp dragged a hero New York City police officer behind a stolen car, paralyzing him. He had an extensive criminal record before that.

“And yet we had a judge and elected officials who thought he should be given yet another chance and put right back on the street. That extra chance could have gotten a police officer or innocent New Yorker killed.”

“What will it take for our broken justice system to keep him behind bars where he belongs? (The punishment was) wrong and there’s no nice way to say it.”

Paul DiGiacomo, NYPD Detectives’ Endowment Association President, said:

“(If Murrell had)  “stayed behind bars where he belongs … he would not be able to hold our Brooklyn neighborhoods hostage with threats of continued violence as he did last night in yet another stolen vehicle.

“While the investigation into Murrell’s arrest is underway, it is imperative for public safety that he faces serious consequences as it is quite clear he has no intentions of changing his criminal ways.”

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NYPD officer shot 3 times by suspected gang member with extensive criminal record

May 13, 2021

 

 NEW YORK CITY, NY – An NYPD officer is currently hospitalized after reportedly being shot multiple times by a suspected gang member after responding to a shots fired call within Brooklyn on the evening of May 12th.

Police officials say that the officer who was shot is expected to make a full recovery.

According to NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea, it is believed that the injured officer, identified as 28-yeart-old Officer Brian McGurran, wound up responding to an incident involving alleged gang members entrenched in an ongoing feud.

At approximately 11:00 p.m. on May 12th, three men were sitting inside of a white SUV at a red light when a male suspect ran up to the SUV and opened fire on the three men inside. The driver of the SUV reportedly tried speeding off from the gunfire but crashed into a pole at Madison and Broadway.

Police officials say that two of the three occupants inside of the SUV were struck during the shooting, noting that 28-year-old Robert Randall was fatally shot, and 21-year-old Malik Lucas was non-fatally shot but remains in critical condition.

Reportedly all three of the males inside of the SUV that were fired upon were known gang members with extensive arrest records, according to Commissioner Shea.

A police sergeant and two officers, Officer McGurran being among them, were a few blocks away when they had gotten the ShotSpotter notification.

When responding to the area, the officers noticed a male suspect, later identified by officials as 26-year-old Boyce Hayward, walking briskly near the area of Saratoga Park.

Officials say that when the officers went to approach Hayward, the suspect immediately pulled out a firearm and started shooting at the officers.

An exchange of gunfire ensued between police and the suspect, with Officer McGurran being shot in his vest, buttocks, and leg.

The suspect was non-fatally shot in the leg during the exchange as well.

Police officials are crediting the bullet proof vest as being what likely saved Officer McGurran from being seriously or fatally injured. Commissioner Shea stated that the injured officer “is in surprisingly good spirits, thankful to be alive.”

Hayward, who police say is a member of the Young Stackers gang, was apprehended at the scene of the shooting and is in custody at the hospital.

As of this time, Commissioner Shea says that it is unclear whether or not Hayward was involved in the shooting of the SUV that killed one and injured another.

However, investigators did recover 9mm shell casings at both the scene of the SUV shooting and the scene where officers came under fire with the suspect near Saratoga Park.

Authorities believe that the shooting of the SUV is connected to an ongoing gang war within the area.

Mayor Bill de Blasio commended the officers who responded to the incident, calling their actions an instance of “extraordinary bravery”:

“This is an example of extraordinary bravery. Here are our officers, in a situation where they see someone acting suspiciously, and they go and do what we depend on them to do every single day and protect their fellow New Yorkers.”

This is an ongoing investigation.

Please follow Law Enforcement Today as we continue to gather further insight into this developing case.

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About The Author

Scott A. Davis is a 28-year veteran of law enforcement. He served as a Police Sergeant and as a Detective in Pennsylvania. Scott retired from law enforcement in 2020. Prior to his law enforcement career, Scott was an award-winning journalist and recipient of two Keystone Press Awards.

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