In the autumn of 1985, New York State Parole Officer Brian Rooney, a 34-year-old male, was driving his car along 119th Avenue in Queens, New York, on the evening of October 10th. It was a night that would tragically be his last. Another vehicle pulled alongside his, and a gunman opened fire, striking the dedicated officer in the head, back, and arm. Rooney’s car moved forward after the shooting and collided with a truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
His service revolver was found in his waistband, unfired.
The investigation into the cold-blooded murder would eventually unravel a sinister plot orchestrated from behind prison walls. Authorities discovered that the assassination was a contract killing ordered by the notorious drug kingpin Lorenzo “Fat Cat” Nichols. Rooney had been Nichols' parole officer and was responsible for sending the powerful drug lord back to prison for a parole violation. In an act of vengeance, Nichols, while incarcerated, arranged for the hit on the officer who had dared to uphold the law.
The relentless pursuit of justice in Officer Rooney's case was intertwined with a broader crackdown on the rampant drug trade in Queens. A significant break came in 1992, following an extensive federal and state investigation into Nichols' drug organization. This led to the arrests of multiple individuals involved in the murder. The shooter, his accomplice, and two others were apprehended and faced murder charges. In a bid for a more lenient sentence, the gunman pleaded guilty to murder and received 29 years in prison after providing information on drug-related activities.
Lorenzo 'Fat Cat' Nichols, the mastermind behind the assassination, was ultimately convicted of ordering the murder of Parole Officer Brian Rooney and was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison. The accomplice to the shooter and another suspect were also convicted of murder and each sentenced to 25 years. A fifth individual, who had lured Officer Rooney to the location of his death under the pretense of providing information for a case, was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder and sentenced to 10 years. All five individuals also faced federal drug charges, which added more years to their sentences. Over the years, there have been parole hearings for those convicted, with law enforcement and Rooney's colleagues advocating to keep them behind bars.
