A retired NYPD detective charged in a deadly road rage shooting on the George Washington Bridge has been released from custody after posting $1 million bail, a decision the victim’s family has called a “miscarriage of justice”.
Victor Romero, 62, of Haverstraw, New York, is charged with first-degree manslaughter over the death of Koran Irvine, 46, a Con Edison technician and father of two from Valley Cottage in Rockland County. According to New York City Department of Correction records, Romero posted bail and was released on Friday.
What Happened on the Bridge
The shooting happened at around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20, on the upper level of the New Jersey-bound George Washington Bridge, as the two vehicles approached from the Manhattan side near West 179th Street.
Prosecutors say surveillance video shows a near-collision between the two cars. They allege that Romero then tailgated Irvine’s car, pulled alongside it, and fired a single shot from the driver’s seat while both vehicles were moving. The bullet struck Irvine in the shoulder.
Irvine’s car came to an abrupt stop. He was taken to Englewood Hospital in New Jersey, where he was pronounced dead. Prosecutors say Romero kept driving into New Jersey and continued home without stopping.
Arrest and Charges
Police found Romero the next morning at his job as a private security officer for a Manhattan hedge fund. Officers said he had a gun on him when he was arrested, and detectives later recovered two more handguns from his home in Haverstraw. Forensic testing is ongoing.
Romero was initially arrested on a murder charge. However, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office reduced the charge to first-degree manslaughter. At his arraignment on Thursday in Manhattan Criminal Court, prosecutors described the case as a “particularly senseless killing” and said video showed Romero was the aggressor. The judge set bail at $1 million.
The case is expected to go before a grand jury, which will decide whether to indict Romero.
Defence: “A Tragedy”
Romero’s lawyer, Alan Abramson, called the shooting a tragedy and expressed sympathy for Irvine’s family. He described Romero as a decorated former officer who received the NYPD’s Combat Cross for a shootout with armed robbers at his family’s laundromat. He said Romero is married with four children and has cooperated with police.
Family Demands Justice
Irvine’s family has strongly criticised both the reduced charge and the bail decision. Family attorney Keith White called it a “miscarriage of justice”, and relatives have questioned whether Romero received special treatment because he is a former police officer.
Irvine’s sister said Romero “fled the scene” and left her brother to die. Relatives described Irvine as a devoted husband and a present father. He is survived by his wife, a 14-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son.
Con Edison, where Irvine worked, called the shooting a “senseless act of violence”.
Investigation Continues
The NYPD and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are continuing to investigate. Romero has not been convicted of any crime and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.