The horrific crash and near death of Suffolk Police Officer Brendon Gallagher, allegedly caused by an impaired driver with a weapons and road rage record, has renewed the call to revamp the state’s criminal justice system.
Lax laws have ushered in a crime wave, local officials say and turned Long Island roads into killing fields where reckless drivers act with impunity. They trace the problem back to cashless bail and other anti-police, pro-criminal policies coming out of Albany.
“I renew my call to my Democrat colleagues in Albany to do the right thing and repeal these terrible, so-called, criminal justice ‘reforms’ that have done nothing more than make things more dangerous for police and law-abiding citizens,” stated Senator Dean Murray when news broke that the driver that allegedly caused the crash had been out on probation in a gun case.
The driver, Cody Fisher, had been charged with weapons possession stemming from a road rage incident in Queens, according to the Suffolk Police. He faces a litany of criminal charges for sideswiping Gallagher’s car and causing it to crash, including driving while ability impaired by drugs, assault, unlawful fleeing, and reckless driving.
The incident started when Cody sped by at nearly 100 mph while the officer, a member of the Street Takeover Task Force, was conducting a traffic stop near Exit 50 on the Long Island Expressway. Gallagher pursued him, and as Cody swerved between lanes at high speed, he lost control and struck the officer’s patrol vehicle. Gallagher hit a tree causing his SUV to overturn. Cody crashed his Mustang into a light pole and was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
For Officer Gallagher, it was another matter. As he hung upside down, off-duty policemen came upon the scene and provided first aid. It took rescuers 35 minutes to extricate him from the wreckage while a Suffolk Police helicopter waited to fly him to Stony Brook Hospital. One officer said it was the most difficult rescue he’s seen in 24 years as Gallagher was pinned by a tree and was suffering from severe lacerations. An Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, he has been decorated nine times, including a Purple Heart medal and cop of the year.
Incredibly, Gallagher was back on the job after almost being killed two years ago by a knife-wielding assailant when he and his partner responded to a domestic incident in Medford. The same doctor treated them, who described the latest injuries as much worse than the stab wounds.
“Officer Gallagher is an absolute hero,” stated Suffolk PBA President Lou Civello, who said the incident will intensify lobbying efforts to strengthen the justice system. “We feel that criminals are acting with impunity, and it's easy to see that when you look at our roadways. The roads have become a free-for-all,” Civello said.
The PBA president noted recent street takeovers that blocked intersections and left a bystander injured. “We have people coming in from outside the area and acting with impunity. We have this individual traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour and almost killing our officer. Had the injuries not been as devastating as they were, we would not have been able to hold him on bail. We think it's critical that that legislature change the laws,” Civello said, adding that he has discussed the matter with Gov. Kathy Hochul.
“How many more people have to die in the state of New York; how many more police officers have to be killed or injured before the legislative leaders in Albany enact real criminal justice reforms?” wondered Assemblyman Joseph DeStefano. He’s been part of a growing coalition of legislators, victims' rights groups, and prosecutors such as Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney, who have been lobbying the Democrats since 2019 when former Gov. Andrew Cuomo infamously signed the law to repeal cash bail.
“The solution is simple,” Senator Murray said. “Repeal cashless bail, increase the penalties for reckless crimes, and give judges the discretion to hold suspects they believe are a threat to society.”
“We don't, in principle, disagree with what bail reform was originally trying to accomplish, which is the amount of wealth you have shouldn’t dictate the amount of justice you get,” Civello said. “However, they’ve gone so far in the other direction that they’ve created a situation where it's not safe to drive on our roadways; it's not safe to get on the train. Look no further than the New York City subway, where we have people getting lit on fire. This just needs to stop. We need a common-sense, rational justice system that balances being fair with public safety.”
Following a “Fast and Furious” incident last year that blocked an ambulance from getting through in Miller Place, Assemblywoman Jodi Giglio and Senator Tony Palumbo sponsored a law making street racing a felony. Suffolk legislators propose making it illegal to gather to watch the hazardous activity.
“We had an individual driving at 100 miles an hour who you know, from a prior road rage incident, has a handgun,” Civello said. “That’s what's out there, and that's what Officer Gallagher was trying to prevent.” A www.FundtheFirst.com effort has raised more than $123,000 for the injured officer so far.