NYPD officer accused of killing his friend in Farmingdale released on bail

A New York City police officer from Farmingdale accused in the deadly shooting of his childhood friend is out on bail.

News 12 Staff

May 27, 2020, 9:17 PM

Updated 1,659 days ago

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A New York City police officer from Farmingdale accused in the deadly shooting of his childhood friend is out on bail.
Errick Allen was released on $500,000 bond a week after a judge ordered him held without bail for allegedly fatally shooting his friend on a street in Farmingdale.
Prosecutors say on May 12, Allen used his police department issued gun while off duty and fired six shots at 25-year old Chris Curro. Five of the shots hit Curro, some at close range.
The judge agreed to set the $500,000 bond during a court proceeding Tuesday, citing Allen's lack of a criminal record and ties to the community.
The case is being prosecuted by the state Attorney General's Office. Prosecutors say there was no legal justification for the shooting,
An assistant attorney general called the fatal shooting "An exceptionally brutal, personal, intimate killing ... This defendant made the conscious decision to pull that trigger ... no less than six times," including one shot that was at 'extraordinarily close range.'"
Allen's attorney, Anthony LaPinta, pointed to what he called defensive wounds on his client's body, as well as an audio recording of the gunshots.
"The rapidness of the shots is 100% consistent with our version of what happened that night," said LaPinta.
News 12 reached out to the victim's family Wednesday. On May 13, Curro's mother told reporters, "We can't come to grasp with this ... He was best friends with Errick. The police officer asked if he had any other friends, and the answer was no, Errick was his best friend."
In addition to the bail, Allen will be wearing an electronic monitoring device. He also had to surrender his passport and all firearms.
Attorney Michael Matera, a family friend of the Curros, said the family is"... certainly very disappointed by the judges decision, but we have the upmost respect for the justice system ... They look forward to the day with Errick will appear before a jury of his peers and answer for his crime."