GOSHEN – Two Port Jervis City Police officers have been cleared in connection with the fatal shooting of a man who charged them with a knife in an attempt to have the officers kill him, according to an investigation in the case.

Charles Parker, Jr., 47, came after the officers while armed with the knife and disregarded repeated commands to drop it.

he investigation found Parker was suffering from mental health issues.

Separate from the grand jury findings, which are secret, District Attorney David Hoovler’s Office conducted an investigation detailing the facts of the March 19, 2020 incident.

That report said as Parker lunged forward, Officer Jesse Clune fired three shots and Officer Andrew Haniuk fired one. Another officer fired a taser, which did not work because only one of the two probes struck him.

Parker was struck with four bullets.

An autopsy found he had a blood alcohol content of .205 and had ingested two anti-depressant medications. A blood alcohol content of .08 percent is the legal limit in New York.

Two days before the incident, Parker sent an electronic message to a family member in which he said, “I love you, forgive everything I done,” and that he loved his family and that he would see them in heaven.

Hoovler said after reviewing all of the facts and circumstances in the shooting, the police officers’ actions in this case were justified under the New York State Penal Law.

VILLAGE OF FISHKILL – An accident involving an SUV and a tractor-trailer has caused significant traffic delays in the vicinity of Routes 9 and 52.

Shortly before 3 p.m. on Thursday, an SUV was traveling on Route 9 when, according to the operator, they were cut off by another vehicle, forcing them to veer off their path, over the median, and into the side of the gasoline hauler operated by SNK Petroleum Wholesalers based in Hopewell Junction.

The drivers of both vehicles were uninjured in the wreck.

Police from the Village and Town of Fishkill are working to minimize traffic delays approaching the intersection as the investigation continues.  Motorists were urged to avoid Main Street (Route 52) in Fishkill.

During the first wave of COVID-19 in the spring of this year, Assisted Living communities across New York State reacted swiftly and comprehensively to minimize the spread of the virus within.  ACF’s were mandated to test all staff every week and this will likely remain in place for the foreseeable future, and at a great cost to providers. 

Adult Care Facilities and Assisted Living Residences in the State of New York are required to test more than 36,000 staff members weekly. These communities are facing a testing cost of more than $3.2 million per week for the PCR test, which average $100 each. 

The Empire State Association of Assisted Living (ESAAL) and its provider members strongly support the continued testing of staff so that their senior residents remain safe and healthy.  However, the financial strain placed on them during the pandemic has restricted their ability to invest in other necessary activities such as building maintenance, improvements to technology to help keep residents and their families better connected — and some are even facing closure.  These ACFs simply cannot sustain the exorbitant weekly costs: It is breaking their backs.

Just as vaccine development continues to progress at a breakneck pace, great strides have been made in the capability to perform tests and achieve near-instantaneous results. The first round of testing kits, commonly known as PCR tests, provide results in anywhere from 2 to 10 days, a long wait for ESAAL’s more than 300 assisted living member communities to identify the presence of the virus and take necessary safety measures to stop its spread.  Today, with advances in rapid tests, the Abbott BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Card can produce results in about 20 minutes – dramatically reducing the risk of exposure for our residents and staff and at a much lower cost, around $35 each. 

The federal government has provided a limited supply of the tests to some ACFs, but it is far short of what is needed. The federal government has indicated that the US Department of Health and Human Services reviews epidemiological data on a bi-weekly basis in order to ensure tests are directed to areas with greatest need and facilities may be added to or removed from the distribution based on these data. As a result, there is not an adequate and reliable pipeline of these tests. ACFs need the state to assist us in securing a consistent supply of tests, especially as New York is now experiencing an increase in COVID-19 in some communities.

On behalf of the 30,000 senior New Yorkers who are residing in ESAAL member communities, we are calling upon New York State to provide them with a supply of the rapid Abbott tests from the State’s strategic stockpile, so that we can provide the greatest level of protection and security for our residents, their families and the hardworking, dedicated men and women who staff these residences.

Lisa Newcomb
Executive Director
Empire State Association of Assisted Living

KINGSTON – The second wave of the coronavirus is having its effects on the Hudson Valley.

Ulster County Executive Patrick Ryan said Thursday that the cumulative cases of the virus in that county is just under 4,000, but conservative projections say that will increase by 25 percent to 5,000 cases by Christmas.

“It is still very much in our hands in terms of how quickly we can flatten this curve and ultimately how high the peak goes,” he said.

While the rollout of the vaccines is being seen as a positive development, Ryan said only a few hundred people in Ulster County will have access to it.

He continued to urge people to wear masks, avoid gatherings of any size and stay home whenever possible.

GOSHEN – Orange County has formed its Police Reform and Reinvention Collaborative Advisory Panel, established per Governor Andrew Cuomo’s executive order to review the policies and practices of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

The Order requires that each local government entity which has a police agency operating with police officers to convene a group of stakeholders from both the government and the community to evaluate policy strategies.

Other important areas that must be addressed include procedure and training, policing functions, standards, and strategies; fostering community-oriented leadership, culture, and accountability; and recruiting and supporting excellent and diverse personnel.

The advisory panel will gather input from the public and the sheriff’s office, and based upon their findings they will put forth recommendations to the County Legislature to adopt a plan, which must be signed by the county executive and sent to the state no later than April 1, 2021.

The advisory panel is tasked with developing a plan to improve the deployments, strategies, policies, procedures, and practices of the Sheriff’s Office, while addressing the particular needs of Orange County. The plan will also focus on promoting community engagement to foster trust, fairness, and legitimacy, and to address any racial bias and disproportionate policing of communities of color.

The panel represents county government, social services agencies, community service leaders, clergy and education leaders, and not for profit agencies.

The members of Orange County’s panel are:

Nadia Allen, Executive Director of Mental Health Association in Orange County, Inc
Gary Abramson Orange County Legal Aid Society
Brendan Casey, Orange County Commissioner of Emergency Services
Craig Cherry, Orange County Deputy Commissioner Emergency Services
Julia Doellinger, Community Member
Karen Edelman-Reyes, County Attorney’s office
Inaudy Esposito, Executive Director Orange County Human Rights Commission
Colin Jarvis, Executive Director, Newburgh Ministries
Kenneth Jones, Undersheriff, Orange County Sheriff’s Office
Kellyann Kostyal-Larrier, Executive Director, Fearless
Kevin Hines, Orange County Legislator, Chairman Public Safety Committee
Darcie Miller, Commissioner of Mental Health/Social Services
Christopher Molinelli, Executive Director HONOR
Ray Rodriguez, President, MyFOURmula, Inc.
Stewart Rosenwasser, District Attorney’s office
Dr. Kristine Young, President, SUNY Orange

All panel meetings will be held virtually. The first meeting will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 10.  Detailed information including links to attend meetings, email comments, and to complete a survey can be found at www.orangecountygov.com.