Extra Time: Newark police officer guilty; DOT truck bursts into flames
In this edition of 'Eyewitness News Extra Time,' we have breaking details on a guilty verdict in the trial of a former Newark police officer charged with using unjustified deadly force.
A jury found Jovanny Crespo guilty on all counts, including aggravated manslaughter, aggravated assault and misconduct.
During a chase in 2019, Crespo fired several shots into a vehicle that allegedly fled a traffic stop.
The driver of that car, 46-year-old Gregory Griffin was shot in the head and killed and a passenger was shot but survived.
Prosecutors maintained Crespo's actions were criminal, and the jury agreed. Crespo was remanded into custody as he awaits sentencing. His attorney says he expects to appeal.
Here are the other major headlines from Wednesday's show:
Department of Transportation truck bursts into flames in Queens
An investigation is underway after a truck caught fire and exploded in Long Island City on Wednesday afternoon. Firefighters responded to a Department of Transportation truck fire at 47th Avenue and Vernon Boulevard shortly after 1 p.m. While they were on the scene, the truck exploded, prompting nearby stores to evacuate. No injuries were reported but witnesses say the force of the blast was incredible.
2 dead, 9 wounded in overnight shootings across New York City
Just hours after July 4th fireworks shows, more gun violence erupted across New York City overnight in three boroughs. At least 11 people were shot overnight and two were killed. Six of those gunned down were in the Bronx, drawing Mayor Eric Adams to the scene and leading the NYPD to issue a Level 4 mobilization to flood the borough with officers from all 77 precincts.
NYPD interim commissioner one-on-one
It's a terrifying situation for people in that neighborhood, but now there's a new top cop and he's from the Bronx. Edward Caban, who was born and raised in the Parkchester section, became the city's interim police commissioner over the weekend. On Tuesday he invited Eyewitness News reporter Josh Einiger to join him as he inspected security preps for the Fourth of July fireworks from the ground and from a police helicopter. It was clear that the fireworks were far from the only thing on his mind.
Summer travel season interview
We have a deeper dive into the end of one of the busiest holiday travel stretches of the year here in the U.S. After getting off to a rocky start last week, the trip back home for millions of July 4th air travelers is expected to be smoother. The TSA screened an all-time high number of people Friday. It's not the high since COVID, but an all-time high. This was in spite of continued severe weather and extreme heat that caused more problems in parts of the country. CNN's Karin Caifa tells us what this means for the rest of the summer travel season.
You can watch 'Eyewitness News Extra Time' live Monday-Friday at 6:30 p.m. on ABC7NY.com or our ABC7NY app on Roku, FireTV, Apple TV and Android TV.
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