A New York City detective who was shot and killed while executing a search warrant at a suspected drug ring could face the same charges after winning a plea deal that reduced his sentence by claiming he thought the officers were robbers, union officials said Saturday.
DEA Detective Dominic Libretti was shot while protecting his team with a bulletproof shield during a raid in New Springville, Staten Island, in the early hours of January 20, 2022.
Suspect Nelson Pizarro, 41, fired shots at officers through the door and told detectives he thought he was being robbed.
Nelson, who was charged with multiple counts of attempted murder of a police officer, assault on a police officer and unlawful possession of a weapon, pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder in state Supreme Court on Monday and agreed to accept a sentence of 16 years in prison.
“Given that he nearly died, the sentence is not sufficient,” Libretti said Saturday, according to the union.
Union officials said Nelson could have faced at least 40 years in prison for trying to kill five officers in the hallway.
Police teams repeatedly came forward, Libretti told the Detectives Association.
“After the door was broken down we went in yelling, 'Police search warrant!' and then we kept yelling, 'Police search warrant!'” Libretti was quoted as saying by union officials.
Libretti claims Nelson saw him, slammed the bedroom door in his face and fired several shots.
“When Nelson saw me, he slammed the door and opened fire, shooting me in the chest. [and] “It's in the shoulder,” Libretti told union officials.
“When I shot back I was shot in the leg.”
