Fuller charged with two counts of murder

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Darrell Fuller has been charged with the killing of Nassau County police officer Arthur Lopez. Fuller, 33, of Queens, is also charged with the killing of civilian Raymond Facey. Fuller faces life in prison Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said Thursday afternoon as the announcement was made.

“These were senseless deaths,” Rice said. “And my thoughts and prayers continue to be with the victims’ families.”

Lopez pulled Fuller over on a traffic stop Tuesday morning when Lopez believed he saw Fuller flee the scene of an accident on Northern Boulevard near the Nassau-Queens border. After a brief discussion with the officer, Fuller allegedly shot Lopez in the chest, fatally wounding him. He then drove further south on the Cross Island parkway where he hijacked the car of Raymond Facey, 52, who had pulled to the side of the road in the vicinity of Belmont Park to call his daughter, Assistant District Attorney Mitchell Benson said.

Police located Fuller in a car on 111th Avenue and 173rd Street late Tuesday evening. Fuller had suffered from what police have stated are self-inflicted gunshot wounds. Investigators know that Fuller reached out for help following the murders of Lopez and Facey. “He reached out to associates and he did engineer a situation in which he would be wounded,” Benson said. It is believed Fuller arranged to be shot so that he appeared as a victim Benson continued.

Ballistic work confirms that all of the shootings are connected Benson said. In addition to forensics and investigative work, police have eyewitness accounts of the events. Following his arraignment Tuesday morning, Fuller was transferred to Nassau County University Medical Center where is under police guard. Fuller is being held without bail.

Following the arrest of Fuller, Queens District Attorney announced the arrest of Queens resident Gerald Williams. Williams, 27, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. Williams was allegedly in possession of the firearm that Fuller used to kill both Lopez and Facey. Williams also allegedly lent the 2000 silver Nissan Altima that Fuller was initially seen driving.