In the early morning hours of October 4, 2012, a traffic stop on the Grand Central Parkway in Queens, New York, ended in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Noel Palanco. A member of the Army National Guard, Palanco was driving his Honda Fit when he was pulled over by members of the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit. The officers involved stated that Palanco was driving erratically, cutting between their unmarked vans.
According to the police account, after pulling Palanco over, Detective
Hassan Hamdy approached the vehicle and ordered Palanco to show his hands. The detective claimed he saw Palanco reach under his seat, and feeling threatened, he fired a single shot, which struck Palanco in the stomach and killed him. However, a passenger in Palanco's car disputed this account, stating that his hands were on the steering wheel the entire time. No weapon was found in Palanco's vehicle.
A criminal investigation into the shooting was opened by the Queens District Attorney's office. The case was eventually presented to a grand jury. Detective Hamdy testified before the grand jury, expressing that he did not intend to kill Palanco. The grand jury ultimately chose not to indict Detective Hamdy on any criminal charges.
Following the grand jury's decision, Noel Palanco's family pursued a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of New York. In February 2014, the city settled the claim with Palanco's family for $2.5 million. While the criminal justice system did not result in a conviction, the civil settlement provided a measure of resolution for the family of the young man whose life was cut short on that Queens parkway.
