Mount Vernon Police Department’s Million Dollar Man, Michael Marcucilli Allegedly Involved In Shooting

[Mount Vernon, NY] Sgt. Michael Marcucilli, the officers who had recently cost the city almost a million dollars, was suspended for multiple cases of excessive force and put back on patrol by Mayor Ernie Davis was allegedly involved in shooting of an emotionally disturbed black male around 10am, Friday morning.

The police were called to the scene by residents of a legal boarding home responding to a report of an EDP ’emotionally disturbed person’ standing outside of 158 Stevens Avenue (near N. 10th Avenue) with a knife. At a press conference held in the Mayor’s Conference Room at City Hall, Mayor Davis and Commanding Officer Captain Edward Adinaro who both spoke to the press and various law enforcement officers and City Council President Roberta Apuzzo (who were flanked in the back) briefed the press and provided an update on the shooting and investigation of the shooting. Who was noticeably absent from press conference was MV Police Commissioner Terrance Raynor, and Deputy Police Commissioner Richard Burke

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ltuzkb9nZY&w=853&h=480]

While they wouldn’t release the name of the officer(s) who fired nine shots (hitting Anthony Smith seven times), they did not deny Marcucilli was one of the officers who responded and fired on Smith, despite several request by Samuel L. Rivers of Mount Vernon Exposed to confirm it. The repeated request by Rivers seems to agitate Davis who tried to move on several times to others covering the press conference. Four officers in all broke down Smith’s door, entered and allegedly found him inside with a knife in one hand and scissors in the other, according to Mayor Davis.

The Journal News reported, the circumstances of Friday’s shooting seem to echo a number of other recent cases where area police have shot emotionally disturbed men. In all three cases, grand juries have declined to find the officers acted criminally and the families are now pursuing civil lawsuits: Samuel Cruz in New Rochelle on May 26, 2013, Spring Valley police shot Herve Gilles on Dec. 14, 2011, and 68-year-old Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. who was shot and killed by White Plains police on Nov. 19, 2011. The Journal News report only proves there needs to be more training of dealing with EDPs through-out the county.

When asked after the press conference, Capt. Christopher Calabrese, Westchester County Police Captain of Detectives didn’t want to speak on those three cases to Black Westchester except to say ‘the Kenneth Chamberlain investigation wasn’t done by the County, but by White Plains Police’ and ‘Any investigations done by the Westchester County Detectives are done thoroughly, completely and they’re all transparent.”

If it turns out (and eventually it will come out if he is) that Marcucilli, who has a history of using excessive force, was one of the shooters, it will not be a good look for Davis. Mount Vernon has already paid out more than $930,000 in verdicts, settlements and legal fees for police brutality cases involving Marcucilli who had been on desk duty for four years after allegedly striking a 12-year-old in the head with a baton, according to city and court records. What’s more egregious and should be a concern to residents of Mount Vernon is his overtime pay jumped significantly, to nearly $30,000- $34,000 a year while on modified assignment (desk duty), according to The Journal News.

31-year-old Anthony Smith suffered wounds to his upper body and leg and was taken to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, where he underwent surgery. Jacobi Medical Center would not release any further information on Smith’s condition, when we call just before going to print. Eyewitness New reported, ‘The officer who fired was not hurt, but the second officer did suffer an apparent injury.’ Stay tuned to Black Westchester for further details as the news develops.

AJ Woodson

AJ Woodson is the Editor-In-Chief of Black Westchester and Co-Owner of Urban Soul Media Group, the parent company, Host & Producer of the People Before Politics Radio Show. AJ is a Father, Brother, An Author, Journalism Fellow (Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism), Hip-Hop Artist - one third of the legendary underground rap group JVC FORCE known for the single Strong Island, Radio Personality, Hip-Hop Historian, Documentarian, Activist, Criminal Justice Advocate and Freelance Journalist whose byline has appeared in several print publications and online sites including The Source, Vibe, the Village Voice, Upscale, Sonicnet.com, Launch.com, Rolling Out Newspaper, Daily Challenge Newspaper, Spiritual Minded Magazine, Word Up! Magazine, On The Go Magazine and several others.