The off-duty police officer who fatally shot an unarmed Bronx man earlier this year was indicted on manslaughter charges. The indictment will be unsealed today, and police officer Raphael Lora will be arraigned. Manslaughter has a maximum penalty of 25 years.
On a May night, Lora ran outside of his home when a minivan, driving the wrong way on the street, crashed into a car on the street. Lora chased the minivan, which was driven by Fermin Arzu, a Honduran immigrant, and confronted Arzu. With the driver's door open, the minivan lurched forward and Lora fired at Arzu five times, and one of the bullets went through Arzu's back and pierced his heart, left lung and aorta.
Lora said that though he was out of uniform, he identified himself as a police officer and was wearing his badge around his neck. He also claims that Arzu stepped on the gas, but some witnesses say the car was moving slowly. Arzu managed to drive a block and hit another car, causing a fire. Arzu's blood alcohol was found to be 0.17, twice the legal limit.
Arzu's lawyer Sanford Rubenstein, who is also representing Sean Bell's family, said, "This is the beginning of the journey for justice for the Arzu family." However, Lora's lawyer Stuart London said his client "acted professionally. His intention was to render aid, to assist an individual who was intoxicated. My client needed to protect himself from deadly force by discharging his weapon. He was concerned that he was going to be dragged underneath that vehicle."
