Janell Funderburke, suspect in Suffolk officer's shooting, pleads not guilty, says he is 'sorry'

The Coram man accused of shooting a Suffolk County police officer during a robbery investigation pleaded not guilty to attempted aggravated murder at his arraignment in Central Islip on Friday.

Janell Funderburke, 20, whom prosecutors called "an admitted Bloods gang member," was remanded to the county jail without bail following his brief appearance before District Court Judge Rosann Orlando.

"He's shown his willingness to place his needs above those of society," Orlando said, adding that she views Funderburke as a flight risk given his willingness to continue to engage in criminal activity while on supervised release for an active drug case. Orlando also said Funderburke had shared fake phone numbers with probation officers.

Prosecutors said Funderburke, who was under investigation for an armed robbery he allegedly committed during a marijuana deal, admitted shooting the police officer, identified in court as Michael Lafauci.

"He went down screaming," Assistant Suffolk County District Attorney James Slattery said Funderburke told investigators during a video-recorded confession. 

Lafauci, 27, a six-year member of the department, was working for an anti-gang detail, Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association president Noel DiGerolamo said. Slattery said Lafauci clearly identified himself as a police officer as he approached a fleeing Funderburke.

"The defendant turned back toward the officer, extended a black firearm at chest level and fired twice in an attempt to kill a police officer," Slattery said. 

Lafauci, a plainclothes officer who lives in Suffolk County, was struck once by a bullet in the upper thigh, the prosecutor said. 

Defense attorney Christopher Cassar of Huntington told Orlando his client denies the allegations, including claims that he is an admitted gang member.

Walking out of the Third Precinct in Bay Shore before his arraignment, Funderburke told reporters when asked if he wanted to say anything to the officer and his family, "Yeah, tell 'em I said I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

Several of Funderburke’s family members attended the arraignment. One relative, who declined to give his name, said Funderburke was troubled and had been using drugs.

Slattery said the shooting was captured on the officer's body camera.

In addition to attempted aggravated murder of a police officer, Funderburke was charged with first-degree robbery and second-degree menacing with a weapon. He faces up to 40 years to life in prison if convicted of the top charge, Slattery said.

Slattery said a search warrant executed at Funderburke’s home on Homestead Drive produced a loaded 9 mm handgun and the clothes he was allegedly wearing during the shooting. He said 9 mm shell casings were recovered at the scene of the shooting.

Funderburke successfully evaded police after the shooting and waited inside his home, Slattery said. He left the house 45 minutes after police arrived having changed his clothes and disposed of the gun, the prosecutor said.

Lafauci had been investigating Funderburke for an armed robbery of two women who attempted to buy marijuana from him Monday. He pulled out a gun on the women and took $160 in cash from them, Slattery said.

"I'm going to boom you," Slattery said the women claimed Funderburke told them.

Funderburke continued to message one of the women through social media after they had already arrived at a police station to report the robbery.

Lafauci is the father of a 17-month-old daughter and is engaged to be married, officials said Thursday.

DiGerolamo said Lafauci remained in stable condition Friday and is expected to remain in the hospital until at least Tuesday.

Funderburke was one of four people pulled from a burning vehicle by Suffolk police in Deer Park less than a year ago, officials confirmed. He was a passenger in a BMW that overturned and burst into flames after the driver fled a traffic stop.

“An individual who one day was rescued by Suffolk County police officers out of a burning vehicle, they saved his life, only in return he’s going to attempt to kill them,” DiGeralomo said.

Funderburke, then 19, was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm and two counts of criminal possession of a substance and criminal contempt, police said.

Slattery said he was also arrested in April on drug charges and was on supervised release. DiGerolamo said Thursday’s incident reveals flaws in the state’s bail system.

Before Thursday's shooting, police officers from Suffolk’s Sixth Precinct were conducting surveillance in two marked and two unmarked vehicles outside a home on Norfleet Lane in Coram as part of a robbery investigation, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison said.

At 12:50 p.m., Funderburke left the home, saw the police officers and started running east on Norfleet Lane before turning south on Homestead Drive, said.

Lafauci got out of his vehicle and began pursuing Funderburke, who refused to stop running after the cop identified himself as an officer and demanded Funderburke stop, Harrison said.

Funderburke fired two rounds at the officer on Homestead Drive, Harrison said.

After LaFauci was shot, fellow officers applied two tourniquets to the officer's injuries to stop the bleeding and rushed him to Stony Brook University Hospital in a police vehicle, Harrison said.

With Jim Staubitzer and Cecilia Dowd

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.