Grand jury upgrades road rage shooting charge to second-degree murder

A Manhattan grand jury indicted retired NYPD detective Romero on second-degree murder charges on Tuesday. The upgraded charge follows his court appearance in connection with the fatal shooting of Koran Irvine.

Irvine, a 46-year-old father and Con Edison employee, was shot and killed on Oct. 20 while driving home from work. Police reports indicate a near-collision on a bridge prompted Romero to tailgate Irvine aggressively. Romero then pulled up beside Irvine's car, fired a single shot, and drove away from the scene.

Romero was initially arrested on a murder charge. However, when he first appeared in court, prosecutors charged him with first-degree manslaughter. That charge was downgraded from the initial arrest but is now being replaced by a second-degree murder indictment. Romero has posted bail in the amount of $1 million.

The decision to upgrade the charge came after public pressure from Irvine's family and union. Keith White, the attorney for Irvine's family, stated that his clients were extremely disappointed that the accused killer had not been charged with murder previously. White directed that disappointment at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Mayor Mamdani, and Governor Hochul, accusing them of normalizing the killing of innocent Black men by law enforcement.

Frank Morales, president of Irvine's union, sent a letter to DA Bragg on Friday urging him to pursue second-degree murder charges. Morales also called for Romero to remain in custody until trial. He insisted that Romero face the same level of prosecution as any other homicide defendant, regardless of his former career in law enforcement.

Dozens of Irvine's coworkers lined up outside the courthouse on Tuesday as Romero arrived. They walked in alongside his security detail. Inside the courtroom, four rows were filled with Irvine's colleagues and friends. Union members and family members are planning a rally in Lower Manhattan at 4:30 p.m. to continue their demands.

Romero is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 23.