Ex-NYPD detective indicted on second degree murder connected to GWB shooting

Manhattan District Attorney's Office says that after further investigations, further questions asked, that they asked the grand jury this morning to consider upgrading the charge from manslaughter to murder, too. And that's exactly what happened this afternoon, just after 3 o'clock. Now, let's show you video of 62-year-old retired NYPD detective Victor Romero on his way into court this morning, his first public appearance since his arrest last week. He was accompanied by his attorney and made little, if any, eye contact and no comments at all when leaving the building. A grand jury again has indicted Romero on second-degree murder charges this afternoon. Romero is accused of fatally shooting 46-year-old Corin Irvine last Tuesday evening in what's being investigated as a road rage incident. The NYPD says around 6 45 Romero and Irvine nearly collided as they were both entering the George Washington Bridge. Prosecutors say surveillance video shows Romero then aggressively tailgating Irvine's car, pulling up next to it and then opening fire with at least one shot going inside the vehicle. Irvine, a married father of two, later died from his injuries. He was also a well-regarded employee of Con Edison. Victor Romero is free, having posted a million-dollar bail. Now, last week, the initial charge of murder was downgraded to manslaughter by the Manhattan DA. Again, however, a grand jury has now indicted him on second-degree murder charges this afternoon. Criminal defense attorney Adam Conta weighs in on the second degree murder charge versus manslaughter. Take a listen. This is better for everyone. This is better for the family because now the family gets a sense that they're being taken seriously, that the case will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Honestly, it's probably better for the defendant as well because without this, every time this case was talked about, it was gonna be, you got special treatment. You didn't deserve to be charged with manslaughter. And it would have been really, really difficult for his attorneys to get anywhere with any mitigation because of that. Romero's appearance in court today was all of about 10 minutes if it was that long. He will be back in court on November 23rd. That's the latest from where we are. We'll now send it back inside to you. Very well, all right, thanks, Antoine. Now let's get to Arthur Chan. He's right across the street where family members and supporters of the victim are rallying tonight. Arthur. Yeah, Steve, this started about 20 minutes ago. I'm going to get out of the way so you guys get a sense of how large this is. There are at least 300 people here in Foley Square, a combination of family members, friends, and colleagues of the victim. At the heart of it are their calls that the former police officer accused of killing Karan is getting preferential treatment. Now, as everybody saw, the alleged gunman, the former NYPD detective Victor Romero here in court for the first time, family and friends of Karan Irvin, a married father too, were preparing for this rally and their cause. The message is very simple, that while their loved one was one shot dead since then, law enforcement they say has taken steps that have raised their eyebrows now to be clear the NYPD tells Fox 5 that Romero did not receive special treatment but lawyers for the victim say police had been protecting Victor Romero's identity keeping his image out of the press and while Romero was initially charged with murder for allegedly shooting and killing the father on the George Washington Bridge that the murder charge was reduced to manslaughter now while that has been upgraded back to a murder too as my colleague Antoine just explained from Irvin's family and friends and former colleagues out here there is still a tremendous sense of outrage wow uh I normally don't even get like this but that was the kind of person my little brother was you know and no I'm not his little I'm not his big brother by blood but you know sometimes family gets chosen and I was really one of the lucky ones to be involved in his life he was taken from us let's let's be clear you know like we we got a proper a proper uh charge uh for that to even be considered to be manslaughter is a joke uh there are a lot of messages in support out here again this rally uh just got underway about 20 minutes ago and uh we expect it will go on for some time further one of the other things they're upset about was the fact that last week the judge had decided that the former NYPD officer did not have to be held without bail issued a bail of one million dollars. They say the fact that that was offered and the fact that the former officer was able to post a million dollars bail is troubling. We're going to explain in greater detail when we get into the six o'clock newscast. But for now, we're live in Foley Square. Arthur Chien, Fox 5 News. Steve Natasha, back to you guys.