Murderer Gets 45 to Life in W. Babylon Cop Killing

The gunman that murdered a West Babylon police officer in New York City two years ago will be spending much of the rest of his life in prison.

Lamont Pride, 28, of North Carolina, was sentenced to 45 years to life in jail for the December 2011 murder of New York City Police Officer Peter Figoski, a West Babylon father of four.

According to Newsday, Figoski's fellow officers applauded his family after the sentence was delivered.

"Lamont Pride robbed my sisters and I of having that trusted rock and confidant that we were so fortunate to have in our father," said Caitlyn Figoski, 19, to the New York Post. "He could have chosen to slip by our father on the stairs of that basement and run away, or he could have chosen to drop the gun and surrender to police. Instead he chose to keep the gun in his hand, aim the gun at my dad’s face, and pull the trigger. A father and daughter’s bond is something extremely special and will never be broken, but now we must continue to mourn his loss for the rest of our lives."

“We live with the understanding that the day might come that Lamont Pride might have the opportunity to walk out of prison a free man and resume the only life he knows,” said Caroline Figoski, 17, according to The Post. “That is a life of crime. Please don’t give this ‘monster’ the opportunity to rob another family and give another family the heartache and suffering that Lamont Pride has give to our family.”

"When our father died, a part of us died, too," said Corinne Figoski, 15, to Newsday.

Pride also addressed the court, apologizing to his own family but saying nothing to the Figoski family or officers.

"I just want to apologize to my family for putting them through this. I want to let my two brothers know as long as I got you in my corner we're going to stand tall," he said, according to The Post.

"Juries can be easily misled by professional criminals who will say anything to avoid being held responsible for their heinous crimes as happened in this case," Patrick Lynch, president of the New York City Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, said to Newsday. "We are fortunate to have had a judge preside at this trial who recognized the jury's mistake and applied maximum consecutive sentences to afford Peter Figoski's family, friends and colleagues a measure of justice."