The maniac who allegedly killed veteran FDNY Lt. Alison Russo-Elling in an unprovoked assault was charged along with her homicide Friday and hauled off to Queens court docket in shackles after apparently admitting to the crime, police stated.
Peter Zisopoulos, 34, additionally faces a weapon possession cost in reference to the mindless assault on the 61-year-old paramedic, who was stabbed 19 occasions at twentieth Avenue and forty first Road in Astoria round 2:20 p.m. Thursday, police stated.
Queens prosecutors wrote in his felony criticism that “admissions of the defendant’’ assist present he killed Russo-Elling.
On Friday afternoon, Zisopoulous was stone-faced and silent as he was escorted out of the 114th Precinct in Queens wearing a white Tyvec go well with with cuffs round his toes and arms.
He was slated to be arraigned in Queens Legal Court docket late Friday, the place dozens of first responders packed the courtroom to indicate their assist for Russo-Elling.
“We’re right here to ship a message to the court docket that we don’t need this man again on the streets. The one justice is that if he stays in jail for the remainder of his life as a result of he’s a assassin,” Vincent Variale, the president of the Uniformed EMS Officers Union, instructed The Publish.
“He’s not insane. He stabbed a hero, and he knew that he did fallacious as a result of he ran away after he did it. That tells me he understood what he did was fallacious.”
Brooklyn-based EMT Patrick Creedence stated he got here to court docket to indicate Russo-Elling’s household they’re not alone.
“It reveals her household that she’s not going to be forgotten, that we aren't going to let this go and that we're going to assist all of them the best way till that is concluded by hopefully him being convicted and sentenced to life,” the 52-year-old stated.
The listening to was finally postponed after Zisopoulos was transported to the hospital for an analysis, prosecutors stated.
The long-time paramedic was on her lunch break Thursday afternoon when Zisopoulos out of the blue tore after her, slammed her to the bottom, mounted her and relentlessly stabbed her, in response to police sources and sickening video of the lethal assault.
A witness who’d been driving by on a scooter confronted the madman, however he snarled, “F–ok you, f–ok you!” earlier than stepping away from his sufferer and charging on the man whereas nonetheless holding the bloodied knife, police sources stated.
The sufferer — whose accidents included a deep, deadly wound to the chest — was left unresponsive on the bottom after her callous attacker ran off, in response to sources and the video.
The 25-year veteran, who was a World Commerce Middle responder on Sept. 11, 2001, was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital in crucial situation however couldn't be saved, police stated.
Zisopoulos was busted after he was chased by an excellent Samaritan and barricaded himself inside his close by condominium, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig stated Thursday.
Police have been in a position to speak him down and take him into custody on the third ground of the condominium.
FDNY Performing Commissioner Laura Kavanagh known as Russo’s demise a “barbaric and fully unprovoked assault.”
“At this level within the investigation there doesn’t seem to have been any prior contact between them,” an FDNY supply later defined. “He simply walked towards her, sped up after which stabbed her to demise.”
Russo-Elling “was about six or seven months away from retirement,” Vincent Variale, president of Native 3621, instructed reporters exterior the hospital the place the paramedic succumbed to her accidents. “She was speaking about it.”
“We misplaced one in all our heroes,” Mayor Eric Adams stated throughout a press briefing.
Russo-Elling labored out of Station 49 in Astoria and lived on Lengthy Island.
She joined the FDNY as an EMT in March 1998 and was promoted to a paramedic in 2002 earlier than turning into a lieutenant in 2016.
Paramedics have the next stage of schooling than EMTs and are in a position to carry out extra complicated procedures, together with administering remedy to sufferers and inserting IV traces.
Russo-Elling labored out of quite a few EMS stations by her profession, together with Station 20, Station 17, Station 16, Station 45, Queens Tactical Response Group and Station 49.
Further reporting by Tina Moore, Steven Vago and Gabrielle Fonrouge
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