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Accused Police Shooter Ordered Held Without Bail

By Eddie Small | January 8, 2015 7:51am
 Jason Polanco, 25, was ordered held without bail during his arraignment Wednesday on attempted murder charges. Polanco is suspected of shooting two NYPD officers Monday after an armed robbery in The Bronx.
Jason Polanco, 25, was ordered held without bail during his arraignment Wednesday on attempted murder charges. Polanco is suspected of shooting two NYPD officers Monday after an armed robbery in The Bronx.
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DNAinfo/Ben Fractenberg

THE BRONX — The 25-year-old man accused of shooting two police officers in the Bronx was ordered held without bail Wednesday during a Bronx Criminal Court hearing.

Bail for his alleged accomplice in the deli robbery that preceded Monday's shooting was set at $200,000.

Suspected gunman Jason Polanco appeared in court wearing gray jeans, a brown leather jacket and green shirt. He did not speak throughout the proceedings.

Prosecutors said he faces the possibility of a life sentence, which they argued means no amount of bail could ensure he comes back to court.

"When someone has more to gain and less to lose by not returning to court, there is no amount of bail sufficient," the prosecutor said.

Polanco’s defense attorney, Joel Peyster, said his client's thoughts and prayers are with the two wounded police officers. Making a case for bail, Peyster said Polanco has strong roots in The Bronx.

A lawyer for Joshua Kemp, Polanco's suspected accomplice, complained that Kemp's $200,000 bail was extraordinarily high.

“The amount the people requested is way beyond the charge,” said Kemp's lawyer, Marvin Raskin. He added that the high level of attention the police shooting has received should not influence the court's decision.

Kemp, dressed in dark pants and a red hoodie, also did not speak throughout his proceedings.

Polanco was arrested on Tuesday afternoon near East Tremont and Westchester Avenues and charged with attempted murder, robbery, criminal possession of a weapon and assault, court documents show.

Kemp was charged with robbery and criminal possession of stolen property, according to a criminal complaint.

Polanco and Kemp are suspected of robbing Welcome 2 Yemen Deli Grocery at 363 E. 180th St. around 10:25 p.m. on Monday, according to the NYPD.

Polanco entered a Chinese restaurant when five police officers arrived at the robbery scene. He fired his gun, hitting 30-year-old officer Andrew Dossi, 38-year-old officer Aliro Pellerano and Kemp, said NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce.

Polanco escaped temporarily after stealing a white Chevy Camaro, police said, while Kemp made his way to New York-Presbyterian/Columbia Hospital for treatment for the shot, where police questioned him and determined that he had been involved.

Pellerano was released from St. Barnabas Hospital on Wednesday. Dossi remains hospitalized there in stable condition.

The room was packed for Polanco's and Kemp's arraignment, including about 20 uniformed police officers who were in the crowd.

Neither Polanco nor Kemp entered pleas to the charges, and both defendants are due back in court on Jan. 12.