ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Tyquan Rivera, who's now no longer behind bars, maintains he did not shoot Officer Anthony DiPonzio on Dayton Street in Jan. 2009. That's according to newly-released parole board transcripts, and reflects what he told the courtroom during his trial, during which he was convicted of attempted murder and assault.
Rivera was 14 years old when he was first arrested, and was 22 when he was released this past July.
Dated Jan. 13, 2016, the transcript shows that questions from the commissioners almost immediately turn to what happened on Jan. 31, 2009. Rivera said he was stopped along with a few others by a police officer, and began pushing back verbally. Rivera said the officer zeroed in on him, then escorted Rivera back to his home before going back on his way.
Rivera then stated:
"Before the door opened, like a firecracker sound went off, one shot, and it was a guy in the next-door neighbor house which was next-door to my home, and he had money and a .22-caliber rifle, gun, and basically he was saying like get rid of it, and I'm yelling, not knowing what just happened, and I grabbed the gun and the money, and me not knowing what's going on, me not knowing that I didn't shoot anyone, I just put the gun in my mother room."
Rivera later stated, "I was wanted for questioning, and basically they was pinning it on me."
DiPonzio was shot in the head and fought for his life, eventually returning to work with the Rochester Police Department.
Rivera served two-thirds of the maximum sentence of 10 years, which according to DOCCS, qualified him for conditional release. Rivera is living in Erie County, conditionally released to community supervision by the DOCCS and has to wear a GPS device.