Who is Ryan Grant? Ex-NFL star helps secure bail for ex-convict accused of shooting NYPD cop Nelson Pizarro
STATEN ISLAND, NEW YORK CITY: Former Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant aided in securing bail for a former convict accused of shooting an NYPD officer during a Staten Island drug investigation, according to individuals who spoke to The New York Post. As per the sources, Grant provided $500,000 in cash required to obtain a $5 million bail to free Nelson Pizarro for shooting Detective Dominick Libretti.
The action incensed the police. According to Paul DiGiacomo, president of the Detectives Endowment Association, "The fact that a guy who shot an NYPD detective is walking the streets of our city is a slap in the face to every dedicated member of law enforcement." He added that the bail of a drug dealer, who attempted to assassinate a police officer, was paid for by former NFL star Ryan Grant, which is even more scandalous.
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According to the New York Post, DiGiacomo also stated, "It begs the question, would Mr Grant spring this criminal if his family member was the victim or just when it’s a hero detective protecting the public?" "A convicted drug dealer with an extensive criminal history who willfully shot a police officer was just released on bail," a veteran law enforcement officer stated, adding, "What else do you need to know about the criminal Justice system today? There is simply no regard for the safety of the public." It wasn't immediately obvious how Grant and Pizarro were connected.
In January 2022, Pizarro, 40, who had previously been detained seven times in New York, was accused of shooting Detective Dominick Libretti in the leg during a cocaine operation at his New Springville residence.
Pizarro, who was not the target of the operation, is accused of opening fire on officers from a bedroom while brandishing a 9 mm Beretta handgun. Libretti was praised for using a ballistic shield to cover his crew and himself from the onslaught.
Following the incident, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell stated, "Even with a serious leg wound, bleeding badly enough that fellow officers had to apply immediate pressure to slow the blood loss, he held a ballistic shield in front of his team to protect them from gunfire."
The detective's wound was described as "possibly a career-ending injury and certainly a life-threatening injury" by NYPD Supervising Chief Surgeon Eli Kleinman. "There’s no such thing as a simple gunshot wound,” he said.
Pizarro was wounded in the leg by police who fired back. He was accused of several things, including attempted murder. Judge Lisa Grey refused to release Pizarro on bond. However, his attorney Lance Lazzaro filed an appeal. The Appellate Division set bail at $5 million in cash and $2.5 million in cash in April. Grant may not have been one of the friends and family members who contributed the 10% financial outlay to guarantee the bond, according to Lazzaro's statement on Saturday, December 10, 2022.
He declared that Pizarro was currently under house arrest. Michael McMahon, the district attorney for Staten Island, stated that "unfortunately the Appellate Division got this wrong and made a ruling I vigorously disagree with."
"Pizarro’s release is an obvious example of the absurdity of Albany’s ‘protect the rights of alleged criminals and screw the victims’ approach. It’s another slap to all of our detectives, the entire NYPD, and in particular, the brave officers this defendant nearly killed while they executed a search warrant in our ongoing fight against drug dealers on Staten Island," reports New York Post.
Who is Ryan Grant?
Ryan Grant, 40, is a former NFL running back from Rockland County, who played at Notre Dame, and signed with the Giants but never played for them due to an injury sustained in the offseason. He played for the Packers for six seasons from 2007 to 2012 and was a member of the 2011 Super Bowl champions.
He was a co-owner of the AP Cafe, a former coffee business in Bushwick. Grant has also participated in Packers alumni events, including the 14th annual Packers Tailgate Tour in 2019, when he visited soldiers at Fort McCoy.