Shock moment town official shoots defenseless DoorDash driver who had stopped to ask directions
Appalling footage has been released of New York highway superintendent allegedly opening fire on a food delivery driver, striking the man in the back as he attempted to drive away after becoming lost and asking for directions.
John J Reilly III, 48, an elected official for the Town of Chester, is at the center of a criminal investigation into what law enforcement and town officials are calling an appalling and senseless act of violence.
A young man had been doing his best to deliver food for DoorDash in a town he barely knew when he pulled into a rural driveway to ask for help.
Shock attack: New York highway superintendent John J Reilly III was caught on camera opening fire on a lost food delivery driver in Chester
Minutes later, he was bleeding from wounds after being shot as he was attempting to drive out of Reilly's drive.
It was around 9:50pm on Friday May 2 when the 24-year-old delivery driver who had recently moved to Middletown found himself lost on the dark, winding backroads of Chester, roughly 60 miles north of New York City.
After his phone battery had died leaving him without any GPS, the man decided to knock on the door of a nearby house to ask for help.
According to New York State Police, the driver eventually reached Reilly's home.
What happened next was captured on doorbell camera footage and is now part of a police investigation. One town official described it as 'disturbing to watch.'
Reilly came to the door armed and could be heard on the footage shouting at the driver to leave.
The delivery worker turned to comply and returned to his Toyota Corolla that was parked in the driveway.
The video sees Reilly firing a warning shot at the driver while yelling 'Go!' before letting loose with at least two more rounds, one of which tore through the victim's car and into his body.
'He just started shooting at him,' a family member told reporters. 'He [the victim] thought his life was over.'
Incredibly, the wounded man managed to drive himself home, where he collapsed and was rushed to Garnet Health Medical Center.
He underwent emergency surgery and is now expected to require a second operation. Authorities say the injuries are non-fatal but potentially life-altering.
Brandon Holdridge, the Chester Town Supervisor, initially issued a measured statement but after seeing the footage, his tone shifted dramatically.
'I can't imagine what was going through minds in that scenario,' Holdridge said to ABC7. 'It's really just shock and disbelief.
'It's unfortunate that he was lost and his phone apparently was on one per cent or something. I feel terrible for him. I hope that he makes a full and healthy recovery.'
Despite the graphic nature of the incident, Reilly was released from jail after posting $250,000 bail.
He faces multiple felony charges, including first-degree assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal possession of a firearm.
The victim's family is calling for Reilly's immediate removal from office, but as Holdridge confirmed, Reilly is an elected official, and under New York state law, he cannot be removed unless he resigns.
Meanwhile, DoorDash, the company the victim worked for, issued a strongly worded statement condemning the shooting.
'We're devastated by this senseless act of violence. No one should ever fear for their safety just for trying to make deliveries in their neighborhood. We're wishing the Dasher a full and speedy recovery.'
Reilly's background also adds a disturbing layer to the case. Not only is he a town official, he is also a federally licensed firearms dealer, a person authorized under federal law to sell weapons.
That status has intensified scrutiny over whether someone in such a position should have opened fire under such circumstances.
'There's nothing to indicate the victim had any nefarious intentions,' said State Police Capt Joseph Kolek. 'He's just out there doing his job, trying to make a food delivery.'
The Chester Police Department has recused itself from the case due to Reilly's political role, and the New York State Police and ATF are now handling the investigation.
The Orange County District Attorney's Office confirmed that a grand jury is considering whether to indict Reilly.
A preliminary hearing in Chester Town Court is scheduled for Friday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Ex-Louisville star Russ Smith arrested on suspicion of DUI and reckless driving
A former college and high school basketball star at two national powerhouses is now facing a DUI charge in Louisville. Russ Smith, a 34-year-old guard playing in Italy's second division, was picked up in the early hours of Sunday morning. He has since been booked on charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving and one count for an expired registration tag, according to online records. As reported by the Louisville Courier Journal, police claim to have observed Smith making an illegal U-turn across several lanes in the city's Original Highlands neighborhood – a historic area with century-old Victorian homes and shotgun houses. An officer reported a 'strong odor of alcoholic beverages' emanating from Smith, who admitted to consuming 'two bourbon pours neat' before getting behind the wheel. The former Louisville Cardinals star and NCAA champion then failed a field sobriety test before his blood-alcohol level of 0.073 was recorded, according to the arrest citation. That is technically below Kentucky 's 0.08 blood-alcohol limit, but state law permits charges for drivers with any level above 0.04 if there is 'other competent evidence' to consider, according to the Courier Journal. Smith has since been released on bond and will be due for an arraignment hearing on Wednesday at 9am. The New York native is best known to hoops fanatics as the scrappy 6-foot Louisville guard who, along with Peyton Siva, led coach Rick Pitino's Cardinals to a national championship in 2013 – a title the school has since vacated. In 2015, it was revealed that Louisville recruits were provided strippers and escorts between 2010 and 2014. One woman later claimed she was paid $100 to have sex with Smith, then a top recruit from Queens, New York's Archbishop Molloy. Smith would later deny that claim to the Courier Journal in 2016. He was never charged for any wrongdoing in the NCAA case against Louisville, which vacated the 2013 title and other achievements as part of its punishment. He would go on to be taken by the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft but never really found a home in the league.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
US troops make first detentions in Trump border military zones
June 8 (Reuters) - U.S. troops have made their first detentions inside military areas set up on the U.S.-Mexico border as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, the U.S. Army said. The unprecedented military areas along 260 miles (418 km) of border in New Mexico and Texas were declared extensions of U.S. Army bases by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, allowing troops to temporarily detain migrants and other civilian trespassers. Three 'illegal aliens' were detained by troops in the New Mexico area near Santa Teresa on June 3, before being handed to U.S. Border Patrol, Army spokesperson Major Geoffrey Carmichael said in an email. "This marks the first time Department of Defense personnel have recorded a temporary detainment within either National Defense Area," Carmichael said. U.S. presidents have long used active-duty and reservist troops on the international boundary in support roles to U.S. Border Patrol such as surveillance and construction. President Donald Trump took military use a step further by giving troops the right to hold trespassers they catch in the zones until civilian law enforcement assumes custody. Federal troops can also search people and conduct crowd control measures within the areas, according to the Army. Designation of the zones as military bases allowed troops to detain migrants without the need for Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act. The 1807 law lets a U.S. president deploy federal troops domestically to suppress events like civil disorder. Prosecution of dozens of migrants caught in the zones has faced setbacks in court after judges in New Mexico and Texas dismissed trespassing charges, and acquitted a Peruvian woman, ruling they did not know they were entering restricted areas. The primary role of troops in the zones is to detect and track illegal border crossers, with around 390 such detections so far, the Army said. News of the detentions inside military areas came as Trump deployed state-based National Guard troops to Los Angeles during protests over immigration raids.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Masked protestor waving Mexican flag is hailed as symbol of anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles
Dramatic visuals showing a masked protester biking around a blazing car in Los Angeles have rapidly become a symbol of the anti-ICE riots in the California city. Several images and a video show the man circling the burning vehicle while waving a Mexican flag through dark smoke clouds as the demonstrations escalated on Sunday. Rioters seized control of the 101 Freeway through the afternoon, and violent clashes broke out between protesters against the National Guard, LAPD and immigration officials in response to President Trump's efforts to arrest illegal migrants. Horrifying scenes of violence have stretched into a third day and sparked a political war of words between Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who accused the federal administration of making matters worse with divisive rhetoric and threats. The Los Angeles Police Department has been issuing a series of rapid fire directives as authorities seek to regain control of the rioters and contain the spread of the protests. Extraordinary video shows the protesters as they commandeered both sides of the freeway on Sunday, grinding traffic to a complete halt as they march down the streets waving flags and holding signs high above their heads. In nearby Alameda and Temple, arrests are now underway as officers report 'people in the crowd are throwing concrete, bottles and other objects.' The LAPD issued an urgent dispersal order for the regions, warning 'those at Alameda and Temple must leave the area.' Protesters gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center were warned that the LAPD incident commander had approved the use of 'less lethal munitions' to break up the crowd. This came as authorities declared the area an 'unlawful assembly' and warned any protester who chose to stay would be subject to arrest. The LAPD began issuing rolling dispersal orders and declaring some of the protests acts of 'unlawful assembly' as violence ramped up on Sunday afternoon. Authorities issued a separate warning that the city has been placed on 'tactical alert', meaning all of the department's officers are now on notice that they could be called up for service at any given moment. Officers who are already on duty are not allowed to end their shift until they have been relieved by their commanders, and residents of Los Angeles are warned that low priority calls may go unanswered while the alert is ongoing. These officers will now join the 2,000 California National Guard troops Trump earlier deployed to Los Angeles to quell the protests, which he called 'a form of rebellion.' Trump issued an extraordinary directive on Sunday vowing to 'liberate Los Angeles' from illegal aliens which have 'invaded and occupied a once great American city.' A combined effort led by Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi will restore order, Trump said. He has directed his key personnel to 'to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots. 'Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday afternoon.
