POUGHKEEPSIE – State Police and the City of Poughkeepsie Police, working together on Thursday night, took two guns off the streets and arrested an alleged criminal.
At approximately 11:55 p.m., members of the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department’s Neighborhood Recovery Unit were working with State Police on a Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) detail in Poughkeepsie. The officers observed a vehicle strike a parked vehicle in the area of 32 Cannon Street, the address of Revel 32, a venue linked to a string of gun violence that occurred early Friday morning. The story about the violence associated with the venue can be found here.
After witnessing the crash, state troopers on the GIVE detail attempted to stop the offending vehicle. The vehicle failed to comply with the lights and sirens of the troopers and sped away. The police chased the car that eventually struck a stone wall in front of the United States Post Office on Mansion Street.
After hitting the wall, the driver got out of the vehicle and fled on foot. Additional officers in the area attempted to locate the subject, with negative results.
The passenger in the vehicle did not attempt to flee and was taken into custody by state troopers. Two handguns were recovered from the vehicle.
George Delgado, the passenger, was arrested and charged with two felony counts of criminal possession of a weapon and felony criminal possession of stolen property.
The incident was one of a series of dangerous crimes that took place Thursday night and Friday morning in the city. Poughkeepsie Police Chief Tom Pape said that “The GIVE detail was in the right place at the right time.”
The eruption of widespread gun violence in the city on Thursday night and Friday morning has angered Mayor Rob Rolison. “We haven’t seen this level of gun violence in the city for many, many years,” he said. The mayor is pleading with the community to help stop the violence. “We need the public’s help,” he exclaimed. “People need to come forward with any information they have regarding the widespread shootings that took place throughout the city. People need to say something because this has to stop!”
The city police required multiple other police agencies to assist with the multiple shootings this week. “I’m upset for this city,” said Rolison, adding “But I am grateful for our police department and the police agencies that responded to our call for assistance early Friday morning.”
