In the late hours of a Memorial Day weekend in Queens, a dispute over a double-parked car escalated into a fatal encounter for 28-year-old Noel Samuels. On May 27, 2017, Samuels, a Black male from Hollis, was called by a friend to help resolve a disagreement in South Jamaica. The argument was with two men, later identified as 52-year-old Michael Myers and 53-year-old Brady Hollenquest, who lived near the corner of 140th Street and 120th Avenue where the incident unfolded.
The
confrontation turned violent, and Noel Samuels was shot in the head. Emergency services rushed him to Jamaica Hospital, but his injury was too severe, and he was pronounced dead on arrival. The initial argument that cost Samuels his life was reportedly over a double-parked vehicle.
An investigation by the 113th Precinct led to the arrests of Myers and Hollenquest on June 8, 2017. Both men were charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter. Hollenquest faced a litany of additional charges, including criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of narcotics, tampering with physical evidence, and unlawful possession of marijuana. Both men had prior criminal records; Myers had previously served 22 years for a manslaughter conviction from 1988, while Hollenquest had three prior convictions for robbery.
