Community Gathers On First Anniversary Of Officer’s Shooting Death
CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn [NY1] — The parents of slain Officer Russel Timoshenko lit candles in Brooklyn overnight, marking the one-year anniversary of his shooting death as the three men charged in the case prepared to appear in court.
Timoshenko and partner Herman Yan were both shot as the two stopped a stolen SUV in the Prospect Lefferts Gardens section of Brooklyn at about 2:30 a.m. last year. Timoshenko was shot in the neck and face and died five days later.
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Yan survived the shooting.
About one hundred friends, family, fellow officers, including Yan, and members of the community gathered at Lefferts and Rogers Avenue, the scene of the shooting, to pay their respects by lighting candles and saying prayers at the approximate time when shots rang out last year.
Timoshenko’s parents were too emotional to speak, but other family members said the young officer is deeply missed and was a devoted family man and officer. He was born in Belarus and grew up on Staten Island.
“It’s a great degree of sorrow,” said Timoshenko’s aunt Inna Apanasyuk. “It’s a little bit lighter the sorrow because we see a lot of people came today to support us. God bless those people.”
“He was a kind person. He would never say anything bad to anyone,” added another aunt Alla Grutman. “He was very sweet and helpful. He would help anyone in any situation.”
Grutman added that all the family members are devastated at the loss of Timoshenko.
Dozens of police officers turned out to comfort the Timoshenkos and remember their fallen comrade.
“The members of the 71 Precinct will always be there to support the Timoshenko family and we thank them for giving us the pleasure of knowing their son,” said 71st Precinct Executive Officer Captain Mark DiPaolo.
The doctor who treated the officer also attended the tribute.
“It’s extremely sad,” said the doctor. “I try to imagine what it must feel like to his mother who bore him, and had to suffer through this, and I think it’s inconceivable.”
Even some members of the community who didn’t know him felt it was important to pay tribute to the fallen officer.
“It’s the least that I can do this hour of the morning,” said Jerry Bennett of the Lefferts Manor Association. “There’s so many police officers out protecting the city and I thought his deeds were very worthy and we should be out here remembering him.”
Three men are charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting. They’re expected in court today, after a preliminary hearing yesterday.
Lee Woods was arrested the day of the shooting. Dexter Bostic and Robert Ellis were taken into custody a few days later, after a manhunt that extended to Pennsylvania.
Was there
At the conclusion of the event I approched Chief Fox and told him.
“As a Regular Comunity Memeber, Every night at 2:30AM I’m Sleeping Peacefully, after attending the seremony tonight I realize WHY I’m able to do so. Like Officer Russel Timoshenko Many police are out there, watching, rolling, listening, keeping our streets safe.”
To which Chief Fox responded, “We are all regular community members, and please when you see this story go up on the web, comment in my name how the same way the few (about 50-100) police officers that have come tonight represent every officer in the entire NYPD the same goes to you. even though only a few Jewish Comunity members came out tonight i know you represent the thousands of jews sleeping in crown heights.
So on behalf of the NYPD family ide like to thank all of you Crown heights residents for sending out a few of you to show support to the Timoshenko Family and the NYPD.
in closing:
Chief Fox thank you for everything you have done, thank you to Commisioner Kelly you have expressed much intrest in out community, thank you Inspecter Vega we will miss you, and welcome to you the new inspecter…
SHMAYA
STOP SUCKING UP TO THE NYPD VEGA DID TERRIBLE JOB SO MUCH CRIME TO PLACE IN CROWN HEIGHTS AND HE DID NOTHING ABOUT IT THE PIGS EVEN LOCKED UP SHOMRIM MEMBER TRYING TO APPREHEND THUG THE 71 COPS DONT CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY THEY HATE THE JEWS IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEY DO NOT PATROL STREETS AT NIGHT ITS THE VOLUNTEER PATROLS THAT DO IT TIMESHANKO JOB WAS TO DO TRAFIC STOPS TO GIVE OUT SUMMONS NOT TO PATROL THE STREETS THATS LOAD OF CRAP THE 71 PRCT HAS TO GET THERE ACT TOGETHER AND LEARN TO GET ALONG AND RESPECT THE COMMUNITY
LOOK AT KELLY LATELY YOU SEE HIM COMING TO CROWN HEIGHTS VERY OFTEN WHY TO MAKE EVERYONE THINK THAT HE IS GOOD COMMISIONER AND THAT WE SHOULD VOTE HIM IN WHEN HE RUNS FOR MAYOR OF NYC KELLY DID TERRIBLE JOB AS COMSSIONER WERE WAS HE WHEN ALL THE BEATINGS AND CRIME WHEN ON IN CROWN HEIGHTS NO WERE TO BE FOUND OR HEARD OF ITS DISCRASE WHAT IS GOING ON THANK G-D VEGA GOT OUT
Re. Chief Fox-s comment
Sounds like a backhanded compliment from Chief Fox but to some extent, deserved. Why were there so few Jewish communtiy members at the event? We are good at rallying the masses when a demonstration is called for, why aren’t there similar numbers when a herioc cop is killed in the line of duty in our own backyard?
CH Mom
I didn’t know this was taking place or I would have most certainly been there. We all owe an unpayable debt of gratitude to the families of our policemen for the risk involved. I hope this thread in honor of a fallen hero will not deteriorate.
Pentax
To SHMAYA:
I seriously have no words to how stupid
you sound. I seriously hope you look over what you said and realize how ignorrant and disrespectful it was.
I’m not saying the 71st is amazing and
always did their job but that officer died
that night protecting you sorry *** and all you do is disrespect him like that.
Canon
Hey its so good to see you again Pentx
ive missed you…
CHNM
The this community works is you have a hacks (like “the unofficial mayor of CH”, yeh right!!) who’d rather not tell anyone about these events so they can get chummy with NYPD brass and NY’s political establishment…
It’s all about promoting them selves. It would have been nice if they would have informed the community.
shmuly
Shmaya, Seriously… C’mon man… Seriously!
(that means i think you’re wrong)