In the quiet neighborhood of Massapequa Park, a chaotic and tragic series of events unfolded on the night of March 12, 2011, leading to the death of Nassau County Police Officer Geoffrey Breitkopf. A 12-year veteran of the force, the 40-year-old male officer was a member of the elite Bureau of Special Operations. The incident began with reports of a man, later identified as 21-year-old Anthony DiGeronimo, running through the streets armed with several knives.
Responding officers pursued
DiGeronimo on foot to his parents' home, where he barricaded himself inside a room. After other occupants were safely removed from the house, DiGeronimo charged at the officers with a knife in his hand. In the ensuing confrontation, police shot and killed him. Shortly after DiGeronimo was shot, Officer Breitkopf, who was in plainclothes, arrived at the scene as backup, carrying a rifle. It was in these moments of high tension and confusion that the tragedy compounded.
An officer from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police, who had also responded to the scene, mistook Breitkopf for an armed suspect. As Breitkopf approached the house with his rifle, the MTA officer, later identified as Glenn Gentile, fired a single shot, striking Breitkopf. He was rushed to Nassau University Medical Center, where he succumbed to his wound. The incident was a case of friendly fire, a devastating outcome to an already volatile situation.
An extensive investigation into the shooting was conducted by the Nassau County District Attorney's office. After a nearly yearlong probe, it was concluded that the MTA officer 'reasonably' believed Breitkopf posed a threat and that no criminal charges were warranted against any of the officers involved in either shooting. The District Attorney's report stated that no one witnessed Breitkopf identify himself as a police officer at the chaotic scene. In the years that followed, Officer Breitkopf's widow filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the MTA and other parties, which was eventually settled for a confidential amount in October 2015.
