Another Blow: NYS Parole Board Releases Cop-Killer Once More

After the state Parole Board recently released another cop-killer, will Governor Kathy Hochul really consider appointing yet another left-leaning member to the board?

In 1984, Lee Ernest Walker fatally shot NYPD Officer Juan Andino over the theft of $140 Cazal eyeglass frames that were popularized by the hip-hop group Run DMC; last week, he was granted parole from Sing Sing.

This marks the release of 43 (forty-three!) cop-killers since December 2017, when former Governor Andrew Cuomo implemented more lenient parole guidelines while stacking the board with “let ’em loose” appointees, aiming to gain favor with the pro-crime left.

The releases have included cop-killer Anthony Bottom, a radical from the Black Liberation Army who was released after serving four decades in prison, along with David Gilbert, a member of the Weather Underground involved in the notorious Brink’s robbery that resulted in cop fatalities.

The “Less is More” law, enacted by Kathy Hochul in 2021, increased the chances for criminals who breach their parole to remain free.

In 2023, the Legislature made it easier for even more incarcerated individuals to qualify for parole.

“The parole board seems to be filled with too many pro-criminal activists whose goal is to release cop-killers. Many of these board members are hold-overs whose terms expired long ago. It’s time for a change,” remarked PBA president Patrick Hendry to The Post.

Now, leftist former Assemblyman Danny O’Donnell, who has a background as a public defender, is looking to join the board.

Hochul could instead advocate for a more rational Parole Board: 11 out of its 16 members are currently serving past their appointment terms.

However, she’d need her appointees confirmed by the state Senate, which is presently dominated by soft-on-crime progressives.

With rare exceptions like Mayor Eric Adams, the New York political landscape is largely shaped by politicians who show little regard for police officers or the families of their fallen colleagues. It’s no surprise that police recruitment rates have plummeted to their lowest in decades.

If Hochul wishes to enhance public safety, she could start by overhauling the Parole Board — and rejecting Danny O’Donnell’s application to join it.