SHOOTING IN THE SHADOW OF YANKEE STADIUM
Street Vendor to Serve 20 to Life in Murder, Attempted Murder
It was a midday double-shooting that took place not only in the shadow of Yankee Stadium, but also the back yard of the very courthouse where defendant HORACE COLEMAN was tried, convicted, and now sentenced for murder and other convictions.
Bronx County District Attorney Robert T. Johnson [pictured left] announced that COLEMAN will serve 20 years-to-life for drawing a fully-loaded Magnum .357 revolver and firing at CLARENCE PEARSON, age 41 and DOUGLAS WATKINS, age 60, in a dispute over borrowed money.
After a five-week-long jury trial, COLEMAN was found guilty of Murder in the 2nd Degree, for which he will serve 20 years to life, concurrently with 20 years for Attempted Murder in the 2nd Degree, and seven years each for two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd Degree. If COLEMAN is ever released from prison, a circumstance that State Supreme Court Justice William Mogulescu acknowledged was unlikely, he will serve five years’ post-release supervision.
On August 23rd, 2012, the streets around E. 161st Street & Gerard Avenue
were busy with lunch-hour crowds when street vendor COLEMAN, age 52 at
the time of the incident, drew a fully-loaded Magnum .357 revolver and
fired at CLARENCE PEARSON, age 41 and DOUGLAS WATKINS, age 60, in a dispute
over borrowed money.
Because of the location’s proximity to the Bronx courthouses, four
court officers who were in the immediate area gave chase, surrounding
COLEMAN, who had walked a block away across 161st Street. COLEMAN, dressed
in a pinstriped suit and a white fedora, dropped his gun and surrendered.
PEARSON succumbed to his injuries two days after the shooting; WATKINS,
who was also shot in the abdomen, survived and testified and made a statement
at today’s sentencing. He is still confined to a wheelchair.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Susanna Imbo of
Trial Bureau 30/40.