Public Safety

Retired NYPD detective indicted on murder charge in George Washington Bridge shooting

New York, New York • October 28, 2026 • By Press Pass USA

Editorial illustration: a large suspension bridge over a wide river at dusk with steady traffic

Editorial illustration — Press Pass USA

A Manhattan grand jury has indicted retired New York police detective Victor Romero, 62, on a second-degree murder charge in the fatal shooting of Con Edison worker Koran Irvine on the George Washington Bridge, upgrading a case that began with a manslaughter charge and a $1 million bail release.

The indictment was returned October 27, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors accuse Romero of fatally shooting Irvine, 46, a married father of two, after their vehicles nearly collided on the bridge on October 20. Court documents allege Romero fired a gun and then fled the scene. If convicted of second-degree murder, he could face 15 years to life in prison; the original first-degree manslaughter count carried up to 25 years.

Romero surrendered to police on October 21 and turned over a loaded revolver he said he always carried, according to court documents. He posted the $1 million bail on October 23, two days after his arrest — a release that drew outrage from Irvine's family, friends and coworkers, who questioned whether Romero was receiving preferential treatment because of his law-enforcement background. The family's attorney, Keith White, said October 27 that the family was “happy that the appropriate charge has now been charged, and now they are expecting and pushing for his bail to be revoked.”

A spokesperson for the district attorney's office said the grand jury presentation followed “an extensive ongoing investigation” after the initial arraignment on October 22. Romero is scheduled to be arraigned on the indictment on November 23; his attorneys declined to comment after a court appearance on October 27. The charges are allegations, and Romero is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. This is a follow-up to Press Pass USA's October 25 report on Romero's bail release, not a duplicate of it.

Sources: USA TODAY Network / Rockland/Westchester Journal News (Oct 28, 2026); Manhattan District Attorney's Office, via the Journal News (Oct 27, 2026).