Town official shoots lost DoorDash driver as he tries to drive away, NY cops say
National Town official shoots lost DoorDash driver as he tries to drive away, NY cops say
A public official for a New York town is accused of shooting a DoorDash delivery driver who state police said had gotten lost.
Marques Thomas via Unsplash
A town's highway superintendent warned a man trying to deliver a DoorDash order to 'get off his property,' then shot him in the back as he went to drive away, New York state police said.
The DoorDash driver, who was lost, arrived at a hospital with 'serious' injuries from the gunshot, one of several John J. Reilly III fired at him at his home in the Town of Chester the evening of May 2, according to a New York State Police news release.
Reilly, the town's highway official, was arrested May 3 on charges of first-degree assault, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm, state police said. The town is about a 65-mile drive northwest from New York City.
Attorney information for him wasn't immediately available.
New York State Police Capt. Joseph Kolek, in a statement to WABC-TV, said 'there's nothing to indicate the victim had any nefarious intentions, he's just out there doing his job, trying to make a food delivery.'
Before the shooting, the man was trying to find the home of a DoorDash customer who lived in a Chester neighborhood, according to authorities.
But he couldn't locate the residence.
He 'became lost and unable to navigate using the (DoorDash) app,' state police said.
The man visited several nearby homes for help, asking for directions, until he went to Reilly's house where Reilly repeatedly shot at the driver shortly after encountering him, according to authorities.
'We are deeply troubled by what has been reported so far,' Chester Town Supervisor Brandon Holdridge told The Times Union newspaper. 'We hope the person who was injured in the incident makes a full and healthy recovery.'
The town doesn't have authority over Reilly's job because he was elected to the local government position, Holdridge told the outlet.
Reilly appeared in court for an arraignment and was detained at the Orange County Jail on a $250,000 cash bond, a $500,000 bond or a $750,000 partially secured bond, according to state police.
He's due for a preliminary hearing in the Town of Chester Court the morning of May 9, state police said.
'No one should ever fear for their safety just for trying to make deliveries in their neighborhood,' a DoorDash spokesperson said in a statement to McClatchy News. 'We're devastated by this senseless act of violence, and we're wishing the Dasher a full and speedy recovery.'
DoorDash is working with authorities in their investigation of the shooting, the spokesperson added.
The town didn't immediately return McClatchy News' request for comment May 6.
Julia Marnin
McClatchy DC Go to X Email this person
Julia Marnin covers courts for McClatchy News, writing about criminal and civil affairs, including cases involving policing, corrections, civil liberties, fraud, and abuses of power. As a reporter on McClatchy's National Real-Time Team, she's also covered the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other topics since joining in 2021, following a fellowship with Newsweek. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, she was raised in South Jersey and is now based in New York State.
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