Family of Con Ed worker killed in GWB shooting questions manslaughter charge against ex-cop

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: The family of Koran Irvine, a 46-year-old Con Edison worker fatally shot during a road-rage confrontation on the George Washington Bridge, is questioning why his suspected killer was charged with manslaughter rather than murder.

Retired NYPD detective Victor Romero, 62, appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday, October 22, where he was ordered held on $1 million bail.

Koran Irvine’s family questions the decision to charge Victor Romero with manslaughter

Irvine’s relatives broke down in tears during the arraignment as prosecutors described how Romero allegedly tailgated Irvine before firing a shot into his car and driving away without calling 911. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on why the charge was reduced from the murder charge initially reported by police.

“You had a retired police officer intentionally fire a bullet and kill him,” Irvine’s aunt, Gale Ford, said outside court. “Instead of being murder, it’s called manslaughter? But again, in God we will trust.”

Irvine’s sister, Zeria Irvine, also condemned the alleged actions that led to her brother’s death, saying the shooting had left his wife and children without a father and affected his colleagues at Con Edison.

“Recklessness and ego of the road rager to take my brother’s life,” she said. “But not only to take my brother’s life, he could have had major fatalities after my brother with that crash.”

Zeria also criticized Romero for allegedly leaving the scene while Irvine lay dying. Vanessa Miller, whose husband was Irvine’s best friend, described the shooting as a devastating loss.

“He executed him,” Miller said. “He was going home to his family.”

Prosecutors describe fatal shooting on the George Washington Bridge

At the arraignment, Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Matt Sears said Romero followed Irvine closely and aggressively as they travelled on the New Jersey-bound George Washington Bridge on Tuesday evening.

“The defendant’s gunshot entered the back passenger window and struck the victim in his right shoulder, killing him,” Sears said.

Prosecutors said the shooting occurred at around 7.15 pm on Tuesday. Irvine was taken to Englewood Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Sears said Romero drove away without calling 911 or turning himself in. According to sources cited by the New York Post, Romero later attempted to surrender to police but went to the wrong stationhouse before he was arrested.

Romero, who retired from the NYPD in July 2001 after working with Brooklyn North Narcotics, was reportedly employed as a driver and private security guard for a Manhattan investment fund. He is accused of firing a single shot during the confrontation.

Defense cites Victor Romero’s police service as judge orders $1 million bail

Romero’s attorney, Alan Abramson, asked the court to lower bail, citing his client’s background in law enforcement.

“My client was a hero police officer,” Abramson said.

A judge declined to grant prosecutors’ request that Romero surrender his passport. Romero was ordered held on $1 million bail while the case proceeds.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office did not publicly explain why Romero was charged with manslaughter instead of murder. The distinction was a central concern for Irvine’s relatives, who questioned the decision as they sought accountability for his death.

Investigation continues after Con Edison worker’s death

Irvine, a father of two, had recently marked 20 years of employment at Con Edison, according to a video shared on Facebook on September 5. His family described him as a beloved relative whose absence would be felt by his children, wife and coworkers.

The case has drawn attention to the fatal consequences of road-rage confrontations and the legal questions surrounding the charges filed against Romero. The allegations outlined in court remain subject to the judicial process, and Romero is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.