Recently, Port Authority Police Officer Anthony Amelio responded to Terminal 1 at JFK International Airport for a TSA report of an individual of concern. Once on scene, Amelio was informed of an 18-year-old man whom TSA said was acting erratically. Amelio interviewed the man and, based on that interview, requested EMS to evaluate him. EMS responded and transported the man to a hospital.
A few days later, Amelio saw an article in the New York Post about a 29-year-old woman who was the victim of an unprovoked stabbing at a bus stop in East Elmhurst, Queens. The article included a photo of the suspect taken from surveillance video provided by the New York City Police Department. Amelio immediately recognized the suspect as the individual he had encountered at Terminal 1.
Amelio contacted the NYPD 115th Precinct Detective Squad to inform them of his earlier interaction with the suspect. He provided detectives with the suspect’s name and other identifying information. Amelio was able to positively identify the suspect, giving the NYPD probable cause to make an arrest.
This is an outstanding example of interagency cooperation resulting in the apprehension of a violent suspect.