Timoshenko killer NOT guilty

[ItIsWhatItIs73]

ASSOCIATED PRESSPosted: 10:14 pm
December 17, 2008
NEW YORK - One of three men accused of killing a police officer and wounding his partner during a traffic stop in Brooklyn has been acquitted of aggravated murder and attempted murder.
Jurors convicted Robert Ellis only on three counts of weapons possession Wednesday. He now faces five to fifteen years in prison - far less than the life in prison without parole that he could have received for murder.
Dexter Bostic and Lee Woods are still awaiting verdicts in the case, which was tried by three separate juries because the men made statements implicating each other.
Prosecutors said the three acted as a team to shoot the officers because they were caught with a stolen SUV and with illegal weapons in the vehicle. They said Bostic shot and killed Officer Russel Timoshenko while Ellis simultaneously

this is absolutley ridiculous i can not believe this happened

[ItIsWhatItIs73]

NEW YORK - One of three men accused of killing a police officer and wounding his partner during a traffic stop in Brooklyn has been acquitted of aggravated murder and attempted murder.

After 10 hours of deliberations, Brooklyn jurors convicted Robert Ellis only on three counts of weapons possession. He now faces five to fifteen years in prison - far less than the life in prison without parole that he could have received for murder.

Two others were accused in the case but had yet to hear whether they would be convicted. Ellis, Dexter Bostic and Lee Woods were each tried before separate juries because the men made statements implicating each other.

Prosecutors had argued the three acted as a team to shoot the officers because they were caught with a stolen SUV and with illegal weapons in the vehicle. They said Bostic shot and killed Officer Russel Timoshenko while Ellis simultaneously shot now-Detective Herman Yan, and Woods was the driver.

But attorneys for Ellis and Woods each claimed their client was the driver and therefore could not have fired at the officers.

Timoshenko, 23, was hit twice in the face. Yan was shot in the chest as he approached the other side of the SUV. His bullet-resistant vest saved his life.

"I am stunned and disappointed by the verdict," said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. "My prayers are with the Timoshenko family as they contend with this ordeal." Prosecutors said they could not comment while the other two cases are ongoing.

"We're very grateful that the jury carefully reviewed the evidence in this case," defense lawyer Danielle Eaddy said after the verdict was read. "We've said from the beginning that the forensic evidence in this case supported Mr. Ellis' contention that he was a driver and not a shooter."

The July 2007 killing after a routine Brooklyn traffic stop sparked a manhunt that spanned several states and didn't end until two of the men were captured in the Pocono Mountains.

Ellis and Bostic, 34-year-old roommates, were driven to Pennsylvania and planned to hide in the woods and live off peanut butter and crackers, prosecutors said. They were captured after about four days in a patch of trees near Interstate 80. Woods, 29 at the time, did not go with them. Three guns were found in the SUV.

Ellis took the stand in his own defense, saying he was scared for his life because he lived near where Sean Bell was shot on his wedding day. Bell was unarmed when the 23-year-old died in a hail of 50 police bullets outside a seedy strip club. At a non-jury trial, a judge acquitted three of the shooters in that case of state charges that included manslaughter, assault and reckless endangerment.

Ellis testified he worried he'd be shot by the officers if he said the wrong thing. His defense attorney Danielle Eaddy claimed Woods was the shooter and law enforcers bent on blaming her client refused to take evidence into account.

But prosecutors said Ellis wouldn't have skipped town had he been the driver. Woods stayed at his girlfriend's house after the shooting and was taken in for questioning before the other two were found.

Jurors watched surveillance tape from the shooting and heard Yan's 911 call. Yan testified, showing his scars from surgery to the jury. Timoshenko's mother also testified briefly in the case. Tatyana Timoshenko told jurors: "I had only just one son."

The jury hearing Woods' case was still deliberating Wednesday, while attorneys in the Bostic trial had yet to finish closing arguments. If convicted on all charges, both men could face life in prison without the possibility of parole.

[John2008]

THIS IS SOME BS. Great now people can get away with killing one of us and only get 5 to 15years.

[Miclam]

THIS IS SOME BS. Great now people can get away with killing one of us and only get 5 to 15years.
But dude, he feared for his safety! The cops were gonna kill him! It was self-defense!

****ing unreal. I hope Sharpton's at the Apollo tomorrow so I can ask him if he's going to march in protest of this verdict.

[GoldBadge]

It looks like Ellis was truly tried by a jury of his peers - a bunch of low lifes.

[MIKO]

^ very true...

[OTVFD18]

Honestly, what a disgrace to this man and the community as a whole. 5 to 15 years for participating in the murder of a police officer? So what, he'll be out in 3? On top of that, he'll be the prison hero while he's inside. This state is getting more anit-LE by the minute.

[MPDCjock]

This is an outrage.

[gbotj]

......Kill a cop and you only get 3 years....sad day for law enforcement.
I feel sorry for the Timoshenko family.

[fedny]

Ellis should be killed when he gets out of prison.

[cvamal]

question: will all the civil right s*&&bags that are demonstrating for each shooting where a cop is involved show up and make some noise??

Damn right nothing is going to happen.

Sadly that reminds me of a typical law school case where a couple in charge of taking care of a kid, killed him. At the end they got away because the Jury did not know which one killed the kid. You may call that justice, avoiding to convict somebody guilty because you do not want to impose a more severe penalty than necessary to an "innocent one".

Funny I have a bad taste in my mouth...

That is really sad for the officer's family.

[DOCSatTheGunk]

he'll go to prison and he'll rant and show off inside how he killed a cop..Sad day for all law enforcement members..My thoughts and prayers to all members of the Timoshenko family, and to members of the NYPD. (my bro is a NYPD det.)

[2971511]

A gross miscarriage of justice... I just do not understand juries,,,,,,WTF

[2411Show]

I had jury duty earlier this month and saw what is selected for cases -very sad- some were so pathetic they could not figure out where to sign their name......let alone listening to testimony.

I was selected to be on a case but the drug dealer took a plea deal - I was ready to give him the chair!

My condolences to the Timoshenko family and Law Enforcement........

[lukefaulk]

assanite....I just cant fathom how a cop killer could get off.....the family is going to need all the help they can get right now.

[NYCAPO]

This is a total outrage. R.I.P Detective Timoshenko.

[BrickCop]

OJ Jury Part II...what a disgrace.

[John2008]

At least they didn't let one of the guys that shot at them go free, one of them got life.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-nycop1220,0,4212759.story



The second of three men accused of killing a police officer and wounding his partner during a routine traffic stop was convicted Friday of aggravated murder and attempted murder, days after his co-defendant was acquitted on those charges.

After deliberating two days, jurors convicted Dexter Bostic on those counts and on three counts of criminal weapons possession. He is facing life in prison without parole when he is sentenced Feb. 22.

Prosecutors argued Bostic and his two partners acted as a team to shoot Officer Russel Timoshenko and now-Detective Herman Yan because they were caught with a stolen SUV and with illegal weapons in the vehicle. Prosecutors said Bostic shot and killed Timoshenko, Robert Ellis simultaneously hit Yan, and Lee Woods was the driver.

Three separate juries heard the case because the men made statements implicating each other.

Ellis dodged a murder conviction Wednesday but was convicted on the weapons possession charges. Woods' jury is still deliberating.

"I hope this just verdict brings some measure of peace to the Timoshenko family," New York Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly said in a statement.

Prosecutors said Bostic sat in the front passenger's seat of the stolen sport utility vehicle and shot 23-year-old Timoshenko twice in the face after he approached.

He "waited, waited until Officer Timoshenko was so close that there would be no mistake, no chance for him to miss. He fired the gun twice into the unsuspecting officer's face," prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi said during the case.

Timoshenko was hit twice in the face. Yan was shot in the chest as he approached the other side of the SUV. His bullet-resistant vest saved his life.

The verdict provided a turnabout for the Timoshenko family, outraged over Ellis' acquittal on the murder charges. Ellis now faces five to fifteen years in prison -- far less than the life in prison without parole that he could have received for murder.

Prosecutors said they could not comment while the remaining case is ongoing.

Attorneys for Ellis and Woods each claimed their client was the driver and therefore could not have fired at the officers. Ellis took the stand in his own defense, saying he worried he'd be shot by the officers if he said the wrong thing. His defense attorney Danielle Eaddy claimed Woods was the shooter and law enforcers bent on blaming her client refused to take evidence into account.

But prosecutors said Ellis wouldn't have skipped town had he been the driver. Woods stayed at his girlfriend's house after the shooting and was taken in for questioning before the other two were found.

The July 2007 killing sparked a manhunt that spanned several states and didn't end until two of the men were captured in the Pocono Mountains.

Ellis and Bostic, 34-year-old roommates, were driven to Pennsylvania and planned to hide in the woods and live off peanut butter and crackers, prosecutors said. They were captured after about four days in a patch of trees near Interstate 80. Woods, 29 at the time, did not go with them. Three guns were found in the SUV

[ItIsWhatItIs73]

hopefully this p.o.s will die a painfully death in prison

[nyc1219]

i pray all three of them fall on a sharp, shiny, shank and they bleed out slowly. they should have played the video from his funeral for the jury,i was there, there would not have been a dry eye on that bench. put them in the hole for the rest of their days and let them shower with the rapist. where's the death penalty when we need it?

[jerry40]

Listen to this guy....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM9Axgwx6Gs

[John2008]

Listen to this guy....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cM9Axgwx6Gs

That guy cracks me up.

Then people wonder why cops don't like the community and why officers become cynical, this is your prime example. We get into a shooting against a perp that's armed and kill the perp the whole entire city goes crazy and wants to butcher the officer head off. One us of gets killed no one cares and then the cop killers walk away scotch free.

No wonder is so easy to develop a US vs. Them mentality.

[NYCAPO]

That guy cracks me up.

Then people wonder why cops don't like the community and why officers become cynical, this is your prime example. We get into a shooting against a perp that's armed and kill the perp the whole entire city goes crazy and wants to butcher the officer head off. One us of gets killed no one cares and then the cop killers walk away scotch free.

No wonder is so easy to develop a US vs. Them mentality.

Bob is awesome. He's a huge supporter of NYPD officers.