Man fatally shot by Nassau police in Massapequa identified

Nassau County Police on Tuesday identified the man that police fatally shot in Massapequa after he fled a traffic stop in Queens as Jeremy L. Bennett, 37, of Jamaica Queens.

Bennett's family could not immediately be reached for comment.

Nassau Det. Lt. Scott Skrynecki identified Bennett but declined to answer Newsday's questions, including whether the police department had made any preliminary findings in its internal probe of the Friday night shooting.

Skrynecki directed questions to the office of Attorney General Letitia James. A James spokesperson had no comment.

In comments made the day after Friday's shooting, Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said the shooting victim, now identified as Bennett, had driven away during a traffic stop conducted by NYPD officers in Queens.

Nassau police pursued Bennett's vehicle, which police said struck or almost struck civilian and police cars, as well as several people, leaving eight hospitalized, including five Nassau officers, two NYPD officers and one civilian.

They all had minor injuries, police said.

The NYPD, in its recounting of the episode, said that just after 11 p.m. the driver had sped away from NYPD officers "at a high rate of speed," and a police supervisor "terminated the attempt to apprehend the driver."

Ryder, in comments Saturday, described the driver as "reckless" and said the car "jumped onto oncoming traffic on Sunrise Highway. He's ramming police cars. He's ramming civilian cars, and he lost control of his own vehicle."

The case has been referred to the state attorney general's office, which investigates all deaths caused by police officers.

Ryder did not say exactly how officers came to shoot the man except that "officers attempted to get that individual out of the car, a shooting occurred and the individual has died."

Skrynecki has said the pursuit was in line with Nassau police's rules and regulations.