"Bronx Tale" star Lillo Brancato Jr. held in police shooting.

[MrSlayer]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/12/10/cop.shot.ap/index.html

"NEW YORK (AP) -- A young police officer dying from a bullet to his chest shot two burglars early Saturday, one of them identified as an actor who played a misfit mobster on "The Sopranos."

Officer Daniel Enchautegui, 28, collapsed in the driveway of his Bronx home and died shortly afterward."

<snip>

"The wounded suspects were quickly captured. Investigators identified one as Lillo Brancato Jr., an actor who got his break in the Robert De Niro-directed film "A Bronx Tale" in 1993, and played doomed mob wannabe Matt Bevilacqua during the 1999-2000 season of "The Sopranos.""

<snip>

"His landlord heard Enchautegui shout, "Police! Don't move!" followed by a burst of gunfire, Kelly said.

The alleged gunman, Steven Armento of Yonkers, was shot four times and was in serious condition. Brancato, who police said was unarmed, was shot twice and was in critical condition."

<End>

Horrible.

[Kagemusha]

1. Death penalty case for sure.

In for the burglary, in for the murder. And a prosecutor will want this young man's head on a pike for sure.

[deadmessengers]

2. Not in New York

They don't have it anymore.

[Kagemusha]

3. Oops. Didn't realize.

I could've sworn I heard of a death penalty case involving New York once but, must've been a federal case...

[chaz4jazz]

4. wrong - death penalty alive and well in NY

Thanks to Gov Pataki the NY death penalty ("the spike") works for capital crimes: killing a police officer or prison guard, killing someone in the commission of another crime (kidnapping/rape/murder) will get you The Spike.

This crime (burglary - resisting arrest - attempted murder of police officer - murder of Law Enforcement Officer) is the gold star crime.

[Princess Turandot]

5. Incorrect

A DP statute was passed but has since been declared in violation of the NYS Constitution by the courts here. That decision was not appealed and no further attempt to create a new law has been made, I think in part because they don't think a death penalty statute can be written to conform with the state constitution.

You cannot blame Pataki alone. He signed the bill, but the state houses passed a similar bill a number of times when Cuomo was governor, which he did not sign.(The NYS Assembly is perpetually controlled by Dems while the Senate is controlled by Republicans.)

[chaz4jazz]

6. Pataki Ran on Death Penalty Issue eom

[chaz4jazz]

7. Another opinion on Pataki

"Ten years ago, George E. Pataki (R) rode the death penalty issue to the governor's mansion, defeating Gov. Mario M. Cuomo (D). Soon after, Pataki and the legislature reinstated the penalty by wide margins."

[hadrons]

8. I remember him when he played Matt Bevilacqua on the Sopranos ...

he was pretty good ... I can see why. Talk about blowing it.

[AndreaCG]

9. Tony's kid was in trouble with the law too

Robbing some other kid IIRC. Dumbass.

[AndreaCG]

10. And wasn't one of Tony's mob members in trouble for beating up

his girlfriend. Something about playing those macho men...