Man convicted in deadly stabbing of FDNY EMS lieutenant sentenced to 25 years to life
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- A man convicted of fatally stabbing an FDNY EMS lieutenant in Queens in 2022 was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on Monday.
Peter Zisopoulos was found guilty of pushing Lt. Alison Russo to the ground outside her Astoria station house and stabbing her 20 times with a knife in September 2022.
The unprovoked attack happened after Zisopoulos left his apartment building, walked up to Russo, shoved the 61-year-old woman to the ground and stabbed her.
Last month, a jury convicted Zisopoulos of second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon.
"New York will always remember FDNY EMS Captain Alison Russo as a hero, who - for 24 years - served our city and saved countless lives. In the dark days after September 11, she worked in search and recovery efforts in Lower Manhattan," said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. "Nothing will bring Captain Russo back, but we hope that the pain and grief over her loss will lessen with today's sentencing."
Before the judge sentenced him, Russo's brother and daughter delivered emotional victim impact statements.
FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker also released a statement, saying "Alison Russo was the best of the best."
"Today, we are appreciative that her killer has been sentenced to the maximum punishment: 25 years to life. This sentencing speaks to the brutality of the crime, and though it won't bring her back, I pray it will finally give her family the closure they deserve," he said.
Russo, a 24-year veteran of the FDNY, was posthumously promoted to captain.
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