NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A veteran NYPD officer was indicted on Monday on attempted murder, assault and other charges for allegedly punching, pistol-whipping and shooting a man outside of a lounge while off-duty in Canarsie last month.
Larry Valdemar, a 16-year NYPD veteran last assigned to the department's 104th Precinct in Queens, was arraigned in Brooklyn on charges of second-degree attempted murder, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and related counts, according to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez.
He was ordered held on a bail of $35,000 cash or $75,000 bond and to return to court on July 13, 2022. He faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison if convicted of the top count.
Gonzalez said that Valdemar got into an argument inside Chloe’s Restaurant and Lounge, located at Avenue L and East 94th Street, on April 18. When the victim, a 32-year-old man, attempted to intervene to calm Valdemar down, he became irate.
Valdemar then allegedly went outside of the club and waited for the victim to exit. At approximately 12:45 a.m., the victim and several other people passed by Valdemar, who allegedly said something to him and walked next to him.
Officials said that when they reached the corner, Valdemar allegedly punched the victim in the face. The victim attempted to hit Valdemar, who then allegedly reached into his waistband, removed a black firearm and pistol-whipped the victim on his upper back. The gun then discharged once, after which Valdemar left the scene.
The victim was treated for a gunshot wound to his arm and a graze wound to his back. A casing matching a 9mm pistol was recovered from the scene and was matched to the officer's firearm.
"After a review of all the evidence in this case, a Grand Jury returned an indictment charging this defendant with attempted murder and other charges," said Gonzalez. "The fact that this defendant is a police officer makes his alleged actions all the more shocking. We will now seek to hold him accountable for his actions."
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