Earlier today, on July 29, 2021, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Suffolk County Acting Police Commissioner Stuart Cameron held a press conference to recognize First Precinct Police Officer Lucas McDonald, who was injured during the arrest of Iver Whittingham on July 27 in the Village of Babylon. Officer McDonald was injured from a struggle that ensued when he recovered a loaded weapon from Whittingham’s fanny pack, after stopping him to issue a Village of Babylon summons for allegedly urinating in public.

What County Executive Bellone and Acting Commissioner Cameron failed to report was that Mr. Whittingham had been previously arrested in Suffolk County on felony firearm possession charges, which should have mandated a mandatory upstate prison sentence, but was allowed to plead to a misdemeanor. This revolving door of justice caused Mr. Whittingham to be released early, whereupon he promptly obtained yet another illegal gun, thus endangering not only Police Officer McDonald, but the residents walking on the streets of Babylon Village as well.

During a press conference held earlier today with New York State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt and members of the Senate delegation from Suffolk County to discuss spiraling crime rates throughout the state, New York City and Suffolk, including the impact of bail reform, Mr. Tierney discussed the Whittingham case. He said, in part: “Rather than serving upstate time, he [Mr. Whittingham] was given the opportunity to plead to a misdemeanor and he was promptly released and allowed to once again carry a gun, where, thank God, he was arrested by a Suffolk County Police Officer. It’s a situation that should never happen. We need to think of both components: bail and prosecution.”

See video of the statement by clicking here. 

For more information, visit www.raytierneyforda.com.