http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/am-wilson0131,0,7941443.story

Cop killer sentenced to death
BY ANTHONY M. DESTEFANO
Newsday Staff Writer
January 31, 2007

"You are a dead man!"

That was the outcry from the mother-in-law of a slain New York City cop after a jury in a Brooklyn federal courtroom announced Tuesday that Ronell Wilson should be executed for killing her son-in-law and another undercover detective.

Wilson's face seemed to collapse in stunned disbelief as the panel of seven men and five women announced shortly after 5 p.m. that he should get the death penalty for the murders of James Nemorin, 36, of Baldwin Harbor, and Rodney Andrews, 34, of Middle Village, during a botched weapons buy on Staten Island in 2003. The same anonymous jury convicted Wilson, 24, of the racketeering murder charge last month.

Then, in a gesture that shocked and angered many in the courtroom, Wilson appeared to stick out his tongue at the families and supporters of the slain men after the death verdict was announced.

"He stuck his tongue out," said Michael Palladino, the head of the Detectives Endowment Association, who was in court when the verdict was announced. "It was done to taunt the [victims'] families."

Wilson would be the first federal inmate to be executed in a New York case since the 1950s. Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were electrocuted in 1953 for espionage, while Gerhard Puff was executed in 1954 for the murder of an FBI agent.

...more on link

<a href="http://news.google.com/news?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&ncl=1112968509&hl=en">Google</a> has a lot more links if you want to read the story from a different newspaper.

Wilson's face seemed to collapse in stunned disbelief as the panel of seven men and five women announced shortly after 5 p.m.
Man, did he think he was going to get a medal or something? What a jackass.

It was done to taunt the [victims'] families."
After playing EQ again for the last couple of months, when I read this I had to suppress the urge to respond with:

/say What victims' families?

I would like to know why killing a cop is considered more heinous than any other sort of murder?

I think it wasn't just for the cop thing, although I'm sure that played into it, but I think it also had to do with the fact that he seemed to show no remorse or regret for his actions, and the way that the murder was carried out. Apparently he got into the back of the car attempting to sell the cops a gun, and however it went wrong he ended up shooting both in the back of the head, one of them after they begged for their life.

Perhaps, and I hope that is the reason, but the media (and your post itself) seems to put emphasis on the fact that he killed cops.

Considering the numbers of murders which have occurred in New York since the Death Penalty was reinstated in the '70's, I find it difficult to believe noone else in NYC has been convicted of murder under similar circumstances...other than the victims not being police.

I would like to know why killing a cop is considered more heinous than any other sort of murder?
I can understand it being taken into account as one of many factors to be considered during sentencing but it seems a bit over-the-top to make it an automatic death penalty (assuming that's what it is in NY). Similarly, if a cop victimizes someone who they're supposed to "Protect and Serve," I think that their status as a cop should be considered when determining the harshness of their sentence. It is more heinous for a cop, using the power and privileges of their position, to commit a crime (or at least some crimes) than it is for someone who isn't a cop.

What would you prefer the sensationalist media call it? "Random guy kills other random people - gets death sentence"? I don't think it would sell as well as splashing "Cop Killer" in a large font across the front page.

Oh, I know...but the unspoken innuendo is that its worse to kill a cop, as if they are a class above the rest of us plebians.

Well, lawyers at the very least. :D

Its not our fault prosecutors are lawyers! =P

Anyone who puts themselves in the harms way for the benefit of the public, whether they are firemen, police officers etc the public will care more about if someone kills them, then if some random guy gets shot.

They generally are going to die, at least in theory, doing something that is protecting the general public, and hence people care more if they get harmed, then if random guy get shot

Similarly, if a cop victimizes someone who they're supposed to "Protect and Serve," I think that their status as a cop should be considered when determining the harshness of their sentence.No, they largely get a free pass to kill people, to the tune of 400+ per year.

How's that view from the glass house, Tuda?

How's that view from the glass house, Tuda?Cops kill other people more than other people kill cops. About 150 cops die in the line of duty per year, but they kill over 400 people per year. And there are only 800K cops in America, far outnumbered by known criminals, and certainly the general population.

If you're going to hold cops to a higher standard, and find their death more repugnant than the death of another person, that high standard should also extend to their conduct while they're alive.

Not to mention, if you kill a cop, you often go to the execution chamber. But if a cop kills you, he often only gets paid administrative leave until things die down.

Oh my favorite is when a cop breaks the law. It's always paid leave while they investigate. They deserve to be in jail like anyone else would be. Then it's always a lax sentance because "everyone makes a mistake." Screw that!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13626384/#storyContinued

SALT LAKE CITY - The commander of the Utah Highway Patrol's drunken driving unit has been cited for driving under the influence of alcohol after crashing his cruiser into a concrete barrier, authorities said.

The test showed that Swain's blood-alcohol level was nearly 0.12 percent, Peck said. Utah's legal limit is 0.08 percent.

Swain was placed on paid administrative leave while the patrol conducts an internal investigation.

Seriously, that's messed up.

I could be wrong about this, but most DUI/DWI's I've heard of (unless manslaughter is involved) is usually a day or less stay in the tank. You normally lose your license but you don't generally spend a lot of time in jail.

My guess is that the cop was put on paid leave while they figure out if they should fire him, when he was drinking, and where he got the alcohol from. Depending on the answers to those questions, it could implicate higher ups or even make the police department liable if he got into an accident while on duty.