WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. Special to WPCNR. January 25, 2008 UPDATED 9:20 PM. Updated 8:45 AM, January 26, 2008, UPDATED 10 A.M. UPDATED Saturday, January 26, 12:15 PM: The County Police, White Plains Police and District Attorney's office and Mount Vernon Police will hold a news conference at 3 PM today on the Friday night shooting of a Mount Vernon police officer by county police officers, White Plains Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety reports. That news conference will be preceeded by a news conference by activist Reverend Al Sharpton with the family of Christopher Riley, the deceased officer at 1 PM, the Associated Press reports.
The man shot dead by a County Police Officer or officers, in front of 85 Court Street across from the entrance of the County Office building (the Michaelian Building) has been identified as a Mount Vernon Police Officer, Christopher Ridley, 23, by White Plains Police.
Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety Daniel Jackson issued this statement to WPCNR Saturday morning: "As of now we have released that White Plains Police responded to a call at 4:47 p.m. Upon arrival they encountered on duty Westchester County Police Officers whom had been involved in a shooting. The deceased is off-duty Mount Vernon Police Officer Christopher A. Ridley a 23 year old, 2 year member of the Mount Vernon Police Department. The White Plains Police Department is conducting the investigation with the help of the Westchester District Attorneys Office."
A second person somehow involved in the incident which witnesses said involved an argument was being questioned last night. Commissioner of Public Safety Dr. Frank Straub told media no one had been arrested as of last evening. Straub had no details to report of how the situation developed or the sequence of events leading to Officer Ridley's death. White Plains Police are conducting the investigation of the matter.
Media reports published conflicting unofficial reporter interviews with witnesses saying Mr. Ridley was holding a gun on a man on the ground, after being told to drop the gun by police, he did not, whereupon police opened fire.
An official police account of how the incident unfolded has not given as of 10 A.M. Saturday morning.
