The two men charged in the death of a NYPD officer from Pelham Bay were back in court Tuesday.
According to police, Officer Daniel Enchautegui was off-duty when he tried to stop Lillo Brancato Jr. and Steven Armento from robbing a neighbor?s home. Enchautegui shot the men several times before police claim the officer was shot by Armento.
The men were in court to hear the date of their next court appearance, September 25. On that day, the judge says a date for their trials and for a series of hearings will be set. The first hearing will decide if comments made by Brancato after he was shot can be used in the case against him. The second hearing will decide if the two men should have separate trials. Brancato?s lawyer feels his client should be tried separately because he isn?t accused of pulling the trigger.
Members of the Patrolmen?s Benevolent Association believe both men should be found guilty on murder charges. They say they plan to continue to attend each court appearance until someone is found guilty of killing Officer Enchautegui.
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