Man who executed NYPD officer over sunglasses released from prison, sparking outrage | Law Enforcement Today

NEW YORK CITY, NY - In an exclusive report by the New York Post, it has been revealed that a man who murdered a New York Police Department (NYPD) cop back in the 1980s was released from prison on Tuesday, January 21st, sparking outrage from the family of the deceased officer.

According to the report, Officer Juan Andino was killed on June 15, 1984 after he stopped Lee Ernest Walker to question him over the theft of a pair of $140 Cazal sunglasses from a display case in a South Bronx store. At the time of the shooting, Andino was only 39-years-old. Records with the Department of Corrections states that Walker, who is now 67-years-old, was released from Sing Sing Correctional Facility after spending 40 years in prison for first-degree murder.

In a statement, Andino's brother, Felix Andino said, "It just hits you in the gut. I believe in capital punishment. He was a thug. And if you take a life, your life should end. I don't believe this guy should be living anymore. That's how I feel." 

Walker was released and will be on parole. He is the 43rd convicted offender who murdered a police officer and has been paroled since 2017 when the rules governing how the state's parole board weigh's an offender's release were revised. A source familiar with those changes said that the parole board gives more weight to an inmate's age and record while in prison and less to the horrific, violent crime they committed.

As police officers are continuing to be killed, the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) has called for changes. PBA President Patrick Hendry said, "It appears that parole board has far too many pro-criminal activists whose intention is to release cop-killers. Many of these board members are hold-overs whose terms expired years ago. It's time to clean house."

The PBA has subpoenaed the voting records of the board, which are kept secret, to determine which members are biased against police. Hendry said, "Those who display blatant bias must be immediately replaced with new, fair-minded members who care about police officers and crime victims." According to records, 11 of the 16 board members are serving on expired terms. Ten of them were appointed by former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

When the incident happened, Walker and Andino got in a physical struggle around 12:00 p.m. at Eye Encounters Inc. in the 40 Precinct. Walker managed to pull Andino's gun out of its holster. Andino was able to knock the gun out of Walker's hand, but was pushed to the floor and shot twice in the face and head.

Felix recalled telling police at the time, "They said that he turned his back on the guy. He trusted people. And I think that's what happened. He should not have trusted that guy." Andino's older brother, Angel Vasquez, said that Walker's release brought back pain and trauma. Vasquez had a salon in the neighborhood where his brother was a police officer and would regularly get visits from him at lunchtime. He even walked the beat with him on occasion.

Vasquez was doing a woman's hair the day his brother was shot and an officer came to the salon to take him to the hospital. He recalled the officer telling him, "You got to come with us. Your brother just had an accident." When he arrived at Mount Sinai Hospital in a patrol car, then-Mayor Ed Koch and Police Commissioner Benjamin Ward were there and so was his mother.

Vasquez said, "That was a very, very bad time for the whole family. She just started crying and crying and crying and did not stop. I mean, she cried for 40 years."