New York – New York City cops are calling the impending release of a getaway driver who drove three men away after they murdered a rookie officer in 1988 “especially outrageous.”
Scott Cobb, now 60 years old, drove David McClary, Todd Scott and Phillip Copeland to an intersection in South Jamaica Queens, where 22-year-old officer Edward Byrne was parked in the early hours on February 26, 1988.
Fox News reported that Byrne, who had just four weeks on the force, had been stationed outside the home of a witness who was slated to testify against drug kingpin Howard “Pappy” Mason.
While Cobb distracted the officer, McClary shot him five times in the head at point-blank range. After the attack, the killers received an $8,000 payment from Mason.
After 34 years in prison at Dannemora, Cobb’s release is scheduled for August 9th, according to the Police Benevolent Association of New York. He has been eligible for parole since 2013, but this is the first time the Parole Board has granted his request.
“All cop-killer paroles are infuriating, but this one is especially outrageous considering the shock waves this crime sent through the NYPD, the city and nation,” PBA President Patrick Hendry said in a statement.
“New York City police officers are absolutely sickened by this parole decision, and New Yorkers who care about safe streets should be, too,” Hendry said, calling on lawmakers to “fix the broken parole system so that none of the other Byrne assassins go free.”
According to data compiled by the PBA, the state Parole Board has released 36 cop killers since 2017, 32 of whom killed New York City police officers.
Although Mason will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole, Copeland, McClary and Scott are scheduled to appear before the parole board in September, October and January, respectively. Sentenced to 25 years to life, the three have been eligible for parole since 2012.
