POUGHKEEPSIE – Leopoldo Duarte Palacios, 38, was scheduled to be tried on a felony weapons charge stemming from a shooting on Main Street in Poughkeepsie on August 20, 2023. At a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday, Duarte Palacios changed his plea to guilty of criminal possession of a weapon.
Dutchess County Court Judge Edward McLoughlin accepted the plea and listened as the felon admitted to possessing a 9mm pistol near 632 Main Street in Poughkeepsie around 8 p.m. on August 20, 2023. A witness called city 911 to report a man (Duarte Palacios) with a gun in his waistband. When officers investigated, they made contact with the defendant who pulled the gun from his pocket and aimed at the officers while attempting to chamber a bullet for firing. One of the officers was struggling with the armed man. A second officer drew his service weapon and fired a round, striking the felon in the arm.
Even after being shot, Duarte Palacios continued to struggle with the officer for possession of the illegal gun. Once officers wrestled the weapon away from the man, they immediately began treating his arm wound before he was transported to a local hospital for further care. He was arrested by city police the following day.
The weapons charge carries a sentencing range of 3 1/2 to 15 years in state prison and five years of post-release supervision. As part of the plea agreement, the sentence will be capped at 12 years state prison and the five years post-release supervision.
District Attorney Anthony Parisi said, “Each and every day, our brave men and women in law enforcement put their lives on the line to protect and serve our communities. My office will aggressively prosecute anyone who inflicts or attempts to inflict harm or violence on our law enforcement officers. Those like Duarte Palacios who seek to harm or kill the brave men and women of law enforcement should be on notice that they will face justice.”
Judge McLoughlin is scheduled to sentence Duarte Palacios on June 7.
