Brooklyn, NY – On Monday night a retired NYPD police officer was accidentally shot and killed by his friend during a fight with another man on the sidewalk.

Retired police officer Thomas Marrinan and his friend Robert Velasquez, a retired city correction officer, were rushing to a pizzeria to help Velasquez’s father who was being harassed by a 33-year-old man identified as Michael Soto.

When the two arrived and confronted Soto, a fight broke out between them that ended up on the street. During the fight, Velasquez pulled out his gun and shot one round hitting both Soto and Marrinan. Unfortunately Marrinan sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead

Soto was struck in the arm and was arrested at the scene. As of Monday night no charges had been filed against him.

Marrinan had retired from the department in 2015 after 23 years of service. He had worked with Transit District 30. One of his neighbors described him as a sweetheart.

One of the witnesses, Denzel Smith described what he saw.

“The elderly guy was getting cursed at by the pizza bench. The young guy said, ‘I’m gonna get you, man, I’m gonna shoot you!’ When he was driving off, he slammed the car and said, ‘I’m going to get you. I’m gonna come back and get you. This is a safe neighborhood. And it shocked me to know this … fighting and a shooting,” – Denzel Smith

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Retired Officer Thomas Marrinan

This piece was written by Zach Heilman on June 8, 2021. It originally appeared in RedVoiceMedia.com and is used by permission.

Who do you think would win the Presidency?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

Read more at RedVoiceMedia.com:
LEO Round Table: French Cop Bravery Or Luck And Stupidity
LEO Round Table: Bringing A Tire Iron To A Gunfight
(VIDEO) Amazon Delivery Driver Viciously Beats 67 Year Old Woman Over Her White Privilege

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette.