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Hero Construction Worker On ESB Shooter: "Someone Like That Isn’t Supposed To Walk The Street"
By
Ben Yakas
Published Aug 26, 2012
Modified Aug 26, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Aug 26, 2012
Modified Aug 26, 2012
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During the press conference on the fatal shooting near the Empire State Building on Friday which left two dead and nine injured, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly noted that a brave construction worker followed shooter Jeffrey Johnson after he had killed Steve Ercolino, aiding police in tracking the gun-toting suspect. “My main objective was to get cops on him. He could've gotten away real easy. He was getting away. That couldn't happen," construction worker Brian Dillon told the News. “Someone like that isn’t supposed to walk the street.”
Dillon, 44, told them he was working on a loading dock outside the skyscraper when gunshots rang out. He looked across West 33rd Street and saw Johnson, dressed in his tannish brown suit, standing over the body of Ercolino. “It’s not something you ever want to see again in your life,” Dillon said.
Johnson began to casually walk away from the scene, which is when Dillon sprung to action. He followed his eastbound on West 33rd Street, then northbound on 5th Avenue—a cop car was posted there, and Dillon informed them what had just happened. "I screamed at them to get the guy in the gray suit," Dillon told DNAInfo. "They looked at me like I was crazy. But I just kept screaming at them, 'Get the guy in the gray suit! Get the guy in the gray suit! He just killed somebody!"
Officers Craig Matthews and Robert Sinishtaj were able to catch up to Johnson before he reached West 34th Street, where they fatally shot him. You can see video of the confrontation below:
Kelly described the series of events during the press conference: "A construction worker who followed him from 33rd Street alerted two uniformed police offers who were posted at the 5th Avenue subway entrance. Police officers approached, and Johnson pulled the pistol from his bag and fired on officers. They returned fire, killing him."
Altogether, the two officers who confronted Johnson fired 16 rounds—one officer shot nine while another one shot seven. Nine civilians were hit by their shots; three were hit directly, while the other six were hit by bullet fragments which ricocheted off of flowerpots and other items in the area.
Dillon reportedly just went back to work after aiding police. "People can't just go around killing each other because they don't like each other. And when they do, they should be held accountable," Dillon said. "That gentleman [Johnson] was held accountable." Friend and fellow construction worker Chris Ogden, who also witnessed the scene, told DNAInfo Dillon is “a goddamned hero. Brian, he’s that kind of guy. He went out and followed the shooter. He’s brave. He told the cops."
Related posts:
Multiple People Shot, Two Dead, Outside Empire State Building
Bloomberg, Kelly Identify ESB Shooter As Disgruntled Former Women's Apparel Employee
Here's What We Know So Far About The ESB Shooter And Victim
Video: Police Shoot Midtown Shooting Suspect Dead
ESB Shooter Jeffrey Johnson Described As Friendless Loner With A Grudge
Cop Who Shot At ESB Killer Previously Sued NYPD Over Quotas
NYPD: 9 Civilians Near Empire State Building Were All Shot By Police
Family And Friends Mourn ESB Shooting Victim Steve Ercolino
ESB Shooter Jeffrey Johnson Was A Red-Tailed Hawk Enthusiast
ESB Shooter Jeffrey Johnson Was Facing Eviction: "This Was The Final Straw"
Tagged
brian dillon
construction worker
death
empire state building
esb
jeffrey johnson
manhattan
midtown
nypd
police
shooting
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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