this post was submitted on 06 May 2025
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337
Chester town official shot a lost DoorDash driver seeking directions, upstate NY police say (apnews.com)
submitted 1 month ago by HellsBelle@sh.itjust.works to c/news@lemmy.world
28 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

John Reilly, the highway superintendent in Chester, a town nearly 60 miles (96 kilometers) north of Manhattan, was charged Saturday with first degree assault and criminal possession of a firearm.

State Police say the DoorDash driver had been attempting to deliver food to a residence in Reilly’s neighborhood on Friday night when he became lost and unable to navigate using the app.

They say the driver approached several homes asking for directions before arriving at Reilly’s residence.

“Reilly told the victim to get off his property, before firing multiple shots at the victim as he attempted to leave in his vehicle, striking the victim once in the back, causing serious physical injuries,” state police said.

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[–] Zombiepirate@lemmy.world 151 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (3 children)

“Reilly told the victim to get off his property, before firing multiple shots at the victim as he attempted to leave in his vehicle, striking the victim once in the back, causing serious physical injuries,” state police said.

The 48 year old, who is also a federally licensed firearms dealer, was remanded to the Orange County Jail in lieu of $250,000 cash, $500,000 bond, or $750,000 partially secured bond, according to police. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 9 in the Town of Chester Court.

Sounds like this guy had been looking for an excuse to use his toys. Typical Republican: either scared of their own shadow or indifferent to the grievous damage they inflict on others.

Found his party affiliation in another article, not that it's any surprise.

Reilly, a Republican, has been Chester’s highway superintendent since 2021. He was re-elected to full four-year term in 2023. He is also a federally licensed firearms dealer.

[–] Boddhisatva@lemmy.world 56 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Typical Republican: either scared of their own shadow or indifferent to the grievous damage they inflict on others.

I think scared and indifferent to the damage they do is more accurate. Though I'm not even sure it's indifference. I think they actually delight in causing harm to people they believe deserve that harm.

[–] Zombiepirate@lemmy.world 25 points 1 month ago

And he clearly thought he could get away with it despite the driver not being a threat in any way.

[–] skuzz@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 1 month ago

Simple-minded spineless shit with no concept of how actions have consequences also works. No concept of empathy, (viewed as a weakness in fact because emotions are scary and hard and complex while simple hate is easy) no value in life of any kind.

One is a republican when one is dumb, rich, or both. Mostly the former.

Kinda sad really, so many simpletons that are easy to manipulate and they all have been played like a fiddle for 40 or so years to do the bidding of Evil.

[–] Evil_Shrubbery@lemm.ee 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Yes, if he would be only indifferent then he would have shot the driver when talking to him, not when the driver was already back in their car & on the way away.

Can't help but to think that the driver being "only a food delivery person" (ie poor/of lower caste) had a lot to do with the decision to basically randomly open fire for shit & giggles.

[–] NeonNight@lemm.ee 16 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I also know a super-conservative who has a gun dealer’s license. And the amount of times he talks about shooting up dem politicians and drag queens or anyone that steps foot on his property is genuinely alarming. He gets nods of agreement from my coworkers as well… these people are also chomping at the bit for a “civil war” so they have an excuse to play army and kill the people they don’t like

[–] Raiderkev@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

A friend of mine moved to Oregon boonies and became one of these people. He told me he almost shot a US Census worker that knocked on his door.

[–] shawn1122@lemm.ee 14 points 1 month ago

Finding an excuse to use their toys is literally America's ethos a nutshell. This guy is just a microcosm of that.

[–] solsangraal@lemmy.zip 45 points 1 month ago (1 children)

we are all doordash drivers

[–] borf@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's time for all the doordash drivers to start carrying

[–] Albbi@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 month ago (3 children)

How do you envision this event going better if the door dash driver also had a gun?

[–] solsangraal@lemmy.zip 13 points 1 month ago (1 children)

if you have people who depend on you being alive especially kids, elderly parents, friends/family who are less than 100% white/straight/male/documented/evangelical/etc-- it's really time to get rid of the anti-gun mindset

yes, zero guns = zero gun crime

but that's never going to happen. what we've had and will have for the forseeable future is a fascist state, full of "patriots" just waiting for a reason (or no reason) to shoot someone with impunity, as evidenced by the OP article and countless others. will justice be served? probably not. should you bring a ~~knife~~ nothing to a gunfight?-- NO.

your choice is your choice. but a lot of the noble ideas of making society better-- no guns, better healthcare, better environment, better education, and on and on-- that's all out the window for now, and it's time to think of survival. because people are still getting shot in the back for no fucking reason whatsoever.

get armed. get capable. do not let decent people become extinct because of "nO gUnS eVeR" stuff---that's exactly what they want

[–] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

This driver was shot from behind while trying to drive away. Had he stood his ground to try shooting back, he likely would have been killed instead of just getting getting wounded. Even if he weren't killed, then he might have killed the guy who shot first... and up with a lifetime of depression and guilt and possibly on trial for murder, costing him thousands in lawyer costs.

[–] wanderingmagus@lemm.ee 4 points 1 month ago

Can't have a trial if there's no law, can't have law if there's nobody left alive to enforce it.

[–] solsangraal@lemmy.zip 0 points 4 weeks ago* (last edited 4 weeks ago) (1 children)

he likely would have been killed instead of just getting getting wounded

you are basing that on...what? the fact that he was only wounded is irrelevant. he could have just as easily been killed. or the shooter could have missed, in which case it probably would have never even made it to the news. either way, this vapid argument of "having a gun = you're going to get killed, therefore, don't have a gun" needs to go away. if someone's going to shoot you, they're going to shoot you. and the number of those "someones" is increasing by the minute.

again, do what you want. i'm packing

[–] dogslayeggs@lemmy.world 2 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

The fact he was only wounded is not irrelevant. Do you honestly think it is as easy to shoot someone driving away versus someone standing still trying to get a gun out of wherever they might have it? Do you think it is as easy to pull a gun and try to shoot someone who already has their gun out and is trying to shoot you? And the fact that someone is trying to shoot you does not necessarily mean they are going to succeed, but the actions you take will make it more or less likely they succeed. Your actions will also make it more or less likely the success is fatal.

I never said, "don't have a gun." I said trying to use that gun in this situation would have likely made things worse. Hell, even if he had a gun and was smart enough to not try shooting back, then the homeowner could have VERY EASILY claimed the driver pulled the gun first and was trying to rob him. Or even if he killed the homeowner before he could lie about what happened, unless there is cam footage then what evidence is there that the homeowner, who has the right to defend their property, started shooting first? Best case is the person is in an extended legal battle and is facing a police force that loves killing innocent people who happen to have guns on them.

[–] solsangraal@lemmy.zip 2 points 4 weeks ago

standing still trying to get a gun out of wherever they might have it

this is why i said "get capable" in the first comment, which for some reason too many people think just obtaining the gun is enough to be able to use it safely/correctly, and that's not the case.

fair points about the "stand your ground" stuff though. i live in a rural bumfuck area and am always telling out of towners don't EVER drive up on someone's property if a) they don't know you and b) they're not expecting you. the census bureau couldn't even hire anyone to do exactly that to collect census data; they started with an offer of $15/hr and had to keep raising the offer. it ended up at like ~$20/hr

[–] Revan343@lemmy.ca 3 points 4 weeks ago

Best case, the fuckhead who shot at him does. Not the most likely case, unfortunately

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

A good guy with a gun, or something?

[–] WolfmanEightySix@piefed.social 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Took me a second to realise that there was another Chester, should have known really.

[–] blackn1ght@feddit.uk 5 points 1 month ago

The driver had made a serious mistake if he ended up in the Chester I was thinking about!

[–] 18_24_61_b_17_17_4@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Chester isn't upstate.

[–] Magister@lemmy.world 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I live in Montréal and went to Upstate NY maybe 300 times, so I checked this post, but 60 miles from Manhattan lol this is far north I guess for NYC people?

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 13 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Yes, for NYC people anything north of the Tappan Zee is Upstate

[–] Xaphanos@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

For some, it's anything north of the Bronx.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

No, Yonkers is definitely not Upstate, by any definition. White Plains might be, but is kind of just as far north as the bridge so it tracks.

[–] Carmakazi@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's the Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge to you, bucko.

[–] dhork@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago

I'll be deep in the cold, cold ground before I recognize the Mario Cuomo Bridge!