July 27, 2016 By Hannah Wulkan
A Manhattan man was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison Tuesday for firing a gun at two New York Police officers in Jackson Heights in 2011, according to the Queens District Attorney.
Antonio Olmeda, 57, was sentenced yesterday after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder earlier this month.
“This case underscores the real dangers that police officers face every day on the job,” said Richard A Brown, the Queens District Attorney, in a statement. “The defendant opened fire in broad daylight on the streets of Queens when the officers tried to question him. The defendant drew a weapon and fired at them three times.”
The shooting took place on Dec. 2, 2011, when two police officers were warned that a man was wearing a disguise near 37-55 76th Street.
They approached Olmeda, who was wearing a trench coat, a fedora, glasses and a fake beard, to question him, and asked that he remove his hands from his pockets.
When he refused, one of the officers moved to restrain him. At that time, Olmeda pulled out a gun and fired three rounds at the officers and fled. Neither officer was hit.
The officers pursued the suspect and found the fake beard, glasses and fedora discarded near 77th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, and submitted them to be tested for DNA, later leading to the identification of Olmeda.
Olmeda was arrested on Dec. 19, 2011, sitting in an automobile on East 16th Street. When Officers searched the vehicle they found a .38 caliber revolver with two live rounds of ammunition and three spent shell casings.
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