Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP / Getty Images
A retired NYPD detective, Victor Romero, has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter charges following the shooting death of Koran Irvine on the George Washington Bridge. The incident occurred during rush hour on Tuesday (October 20), when Romero allegedly shot Irvine, an off-duty Con Edison worker, after a near-collision on the bridge. Romero, 62, was initially charged with murder but was arraigned on a lesser charge of first-degree manslaughter, as reported by ABC News.
Romero was ordered held on $1 million bail. During the court hearing, Irvine's family expressed their disappointment over the reduced charge. Irvine's sister, Zeria Irvine, said she was upset to see Romero in court, while his aunt, Gale Forde, criticized the decision to downgrade the charge from murder to manslaughter.
According to a police affidavit, surveillance footage showed Irvine's vehicle swerving into another lane and nearly colliding with Romero's Range Rover. The footage also depicted Romero's vehicle closely following Irvine's car before the shooting occurred. The bullet that killed Irvine entered through the rear passenger door and struck him in the back of his right shoulder. After the shooting, Irvine's car crashed into a median, and he was pronounced dead at Englewood Hospital.
Romero retired from the NYPD in 2001 and was working as a driver for a Manhattan investment fund. He surrendered to police at the 33rd Precinct in Manhattan after the incident. His defense attorney, Alan Abramson, requested lower bail, citing Romero's police background, but the judge denied the request.
The family of Irvine, who was a father of two, has set up a GoFundMe campaign to support his widow and children. The campaign has raised nearly $200,000, according to New York Post. Irvine's family and friends remember him as a beloved husband and father who brought joy to those around him.