Sunday, May 17, 2020

Homicide in Hudson

This afternoon, the Hudson Police Department issued this press release.
The investigation continues into last night's homicide as members of the Hudson Police Department and Troopers from S[tate] P[olice] Livingston as well as Troop K's Major Crimes Unit continue to interview people and collect evidence.
The deceased is identified as Terrell J. Starr, 18 years old, of Stottville, NY. Severely injured in the altercation was a 30-year-old Albany resident.
Shortly before 11 p.m. last night an exchange of gunfire occurred in the parking lot of Hudson Terrace Apartments. Both subjects, suffering from bullet wounds, were transported to Columbia Memorial Hospital in private vehicles. Starr passed away at CMH and the other man was airlifted to Albany Medical Center where he remains. Several vehicles were struck by bullets. There are no known injuries to any other person.
Detectives continue to piece together the evidence. Specifically, whether this incident ties into a May 2nd drive-by shooting on North Second Street and the March 28th arrest of Starr for shooting a pistol in Cherry Alley. Indications are that several people, not just the two injured parties, were involved in the exchange of gunfire.
Anyone that may have any information regarding this case are asked to call Hudson Police Detectives at (518) 828-3388. ALL CALLS WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL
An hour or so earlier, Mayor Kamal Johnson published this statement on his Facebook page.
On the evening of May 16th, a young Hudson resident was killed and another severely wounded. I knew both of these individuals personally which makes this statement even harder to write.
We must improve as a community. We need to intervene and put aside meaningless arguments and debates. We need to improve our city for everyone to have a chance. Our citizens, businesses, not for profits, elected officials myself included. We need to work harder at paving away for our young people to live and thrive.
No parent should have to bury their child. As a community we cannot have anymore violence in our city. Our community will need this time to heal and mourn a young talented individual who was human and made mistakes.
Follow Up:  There was a memorial tribute to Terrell Starr last night at Promenade Hill, during which a large fight broke out. The Register-Star reported the story: "Police: Riot breaks out at Hudson vigil for slain teen."

18 comments:

  1. If the Mayor knew both men, maybe he could fill us in on the details. What "meaningless arguments and debates" are we supposed to "put aside" as a result of this incident? What light does this killing shed on who isn't getting a chance in Hudson? What chance are they not getting? And what does this have to do with two people getting shot in downtown Hudson? The Mayor needs to keep Hudson citizens safe, not issue bromides about "paving a way for our young people to live and thrive and thrive." Again, maybe he needs to fill us in on these two gunshot victims why we need to feel guilty about about being a bad community. Also, maybe he could explain why the man he says was a Hudson resident the police say was from Stottville.

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  2. By an unfortunate coincidence, there was a fight at the Terraces barely an hour after I wrote this comment. A couple dozen local and state police officers were at the scene (centered mainly around the Terrace parking lot just north of the Chamber of Commerce), as was an ambulance which attended to a woman whom several people reported as having "fainted." A couple hundred people, mostly young, were still milling around at 9:30, when this observer left.


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  3. Unfortunately, much of the violence in Hudson has to do with the drug trades. Dealing drugs is a rough business and goes on daily in our fair city in isolated areas.

    Shootings in Hudson have been a regular occurrence - and we all have read about it.
    We even know people who have houses that have been shot up with bullet holes and into their sofa.

    Hudson is a Tale of Two Cities -- a city on the rise through sweat equity and a city of drug dealing and mayhem in the public housing projects where most of the violence occurs.

    Is it even healthy for poor disadvantaged people to live in these environments ?? In some ways this kind of housing is more of prison than a safe haven. and there is no exit.

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  4. I want to applaud the City, County, and State police who were at the scene last night. By the time I arrived--just after the ambulance, a little before 9-- they had broken up the fight, which I didn't see, and formed a protective human barrier around the ambulance the area where dozens vigil lights were burning. I hope the girl who "fainted" is okay, but applaud the police for making sure no one else (that I know of) got hurt.

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  5. The following comment was submitted by someone who wished to remain anonymous:

    I am saddened by the families' loss to senseless violence. We must understand this is an ongoing criminal investigation until the facts are revealed, we must hold judgment of the incident. I hope there is public cooperation with the investigation so those responsible can be held accountable and brought to justice. The last thing City needs is another summer of violence.

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  6. The problem now is that the Mayor has racialized his PILOT Project with Galvan-describing naysayers as against low-income housing for minorities--and portrayed the killing at the Terraces as sending a signal (racial code word) that we "need to intervene and put aside meaningless arguments and debates." What the Mayor needs to do is appoint a housing commissioner, as he promised, to get to the root causes of unaffordable housing, and get the Police and community involved in a discussion about drugs and crime. Quit blaming "the community," Mayor, and start dealing with the gun violence and drugs.

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  7. And what about the "Mass Gathering" law (http://www.cityofhudson.org/residents/events_mass_gathering/index.php). Did vigil sponsors have that approval? The Mayor was there. Did he condone it?

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    1. Someone died. Show a little compassion for god’s sake. Your comments are coming off as very insensitive and racist right now, just so you know.

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    2. I agree. That comment sounds insensitive. But there have been plenty of people who have lost loved ones and not been able have funerals or vigils because of the covid laws. The grief over the loss of a loved one is real, as it was over Mr. Starr's passing, and I meant no disrespect for that grief.

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  8. My first response was similar to others here, but I would encourage everyone to look deeper. There are two Hudsons. Until both of them acknowledge one another and try to communicate we are all doomed, like an obsessive compulsive dog chasing it’s own tail. One man is dead and another man might die. Show some human compassion for starters. My god, go to the Facebook page of that young man’s mother, you might cry. But I can’t help but play Devil’s advocate. Why are young men in Hudson walking around with guns? Who was the 30 year old from Albany and what was he doing in Hudson? There are two Hudsons.

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  9. Most comments on Gossips are from rich white folks who did not grow up in Hudson. Try to put yourself in the place of poor kids who grow up here. The schools are terrible. There are few if any role models. There is a serious drug problem here that no one seems to be addressing. I see many good people trying very hard to help those in need, but we are ALL missing something here. What are we missing?

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  10. P. Winslow: you seem to know so much, and yet you used the word “libtards”, and I somehow doubt that you have any black friends. I’m just sayin

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  11. Peter Meyer, judging by your Facebook page you are doing very well for yourself and I’m guessing that you have never gone hungry a day in your life. Tell me if I’m wrong. There are people in Hudson right now who are hungry and struggling. Instead of hating them, maybe try to put yourself in their shoes?

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    1. John A, I think we should talk. Call me if you can, at 518.929.6505

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  12. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  13. I used to really enjoy this blog but it’s become a thing for people to just grip all day long on. I have been watching this mayor for the past 5 months and I’ve been impressed i have to admit. The kid has a cult following and i see why he’s working his tale off. The same 9 people come on here every day and bash him. Give the kid credit he’s doing a heck of a job for a young rookie mayor in the hardest time periods of any mayor in all of our lifetimes.

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  14. The last time I saw this kind of racial tension in Hudson was about 15 years ago, when a school official and a school board member, both white, blamed "minorities" for the school district's poor performance. That resulted in a series of gut-wrenching community meetings, involving dozens of people over the course of several weeks. It helped. Last night I asked the Police Commissioner to convene a meeting between community leaders, the police, and the community to discuss the City's drugs and violence problem.

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  15. It is very sad for this young mans family and perhaps not the best time to talk about these things. Perhaps my prior comment was harsh, I was angry, but I said nothing about race. I do not think it is racist or insensitive to say the killer of this boy should be arrested and not protected. Bad schools, lack of role models, all are issues that need to be addressed, but this is not an excuse and it does not justify the behavior of someone who made the choice to get a gun and kill someone. There are lots of people who have suffered and struggle with these problems who do not get guns and shoot people. The people in the neighborhood where these shootings occur are mostly black people, is it racist to say they shouldn't be at risk from stray bullets coming through their windows? This is a small community and there is a pattern of guns shooting off and the witnesses turning a blind eye. This is not acceptable behavior either, doing nothing only leads to retaliatory justice and the cycle continues.

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