BUFFALO, NY-- A local realtor is facing a lawsuit for comments he made on social media about a deadly police involved shooting last year.
You might remember, an officer shot and killed Jose Hernandez-Rossy after a traffic stop in Black Rock last May. No charges were ever filed, and the New York State Attorney General's office found the shooting was justified.
The lawsuit filed in March by PBA attorney Tom Burton on behalf of the two officers involved, says Carmelo Parlato posted in the comments section of the Buffalo News that the officers were trying to steal drugs from Hernandez-Rossy at the time of the shooting.
Now, he's facing a libel lawsuit.
2 On Your Side reached out to Parlato via telephone for a statement Monday afternoon. He issued a statement through his attorney: "It’s important to be engaged in what happens in our communities, and people should not be afraid to participate in civic discourse. That’s what makes us Americans. Having been named in this case, I will defend my right to comment on what people who are paid by our tax dollars do when working to keep us safe."
Officers Defamation Lawsuit by WGRZ-TV on Scribd