A Queens man was found guilty Monday in the fatal stabbing of EMS Captain Alison Russo in 2022, officials said.
What You Need To Know
- A Queens man was found guilty Monday in the fatal stabbing of EMS Captain Alison Russo in 2022, officials said
- Peter Zisopoulos, 37, of Astoria, was found guilty of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and now faces 25 years to life behind bars, according to a news release from the Queens district attorney’s office
- The trial, which started last week, included testimony from Zisopoulos
Peter Zisopoulos, 37, of Astoria, was found guilty of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and now faces 25 years to life behind bars, according to a news release from the Queens district attorney’s office.
“Alison Russo was a long-time public servant who cared deeply for the people of New York. Our city is still in mourning for a woman who saved countless lives as a member of the FDNY,” Queens District Attorney Melissa Katz wrote in a statement. “I hope this conviction brings Alison’s family, friends and coworkers solace as we continue to grieve her loss.”
The trial, which started last week, included testimony from Zisopoulos. Several witnesses called by the prosecution last Monday identified him as the person they either witnessed during the attack or afterwards when he was apprehended by police.
Russo, 61, had just left her stationhouse on 20th Avenue in Astoria and was wearing her uniform when Zisopoulos pulled a knife out of his pocket, approached her and stabbed her more than a dozen times, prosecutors said.
The 25-year-veteran of the FDNY was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Queens, the NYPD said.
Zisopoulos initially barricaded himself inside his apartment after the attack, but eventually surrendered to the NYPD, according to prosecutors.
In a statement, FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker said the jury brought “a just verdict” for Russo’s case.
“The people have now spoken, and the jury brought back a just verdict for this brutal crime,” he wrote in a statement. “Captain Russo was a hero and continues to be a source of inspiration and strength to her colleagues and to this Department."
Zisopoulos will be sentenced on June 30, according to the Queens DA’s office.