The Perp Walk

At 2:00 a.m. detectives escorted Joseph Pabon, accused of killing Eridania Rodriguez, in handcuffs from the 1st Precinct into a black department sedan before transporting him to central booking.

Four photographers, a videographer, and I waited for the two dozen shuffle-steps Pabon took between precinct and car. It was far less dramatic than his arrest on Staten Island earlier in the day.

Two dozen steps, maybe eighteen seconds, and the hope that the perp will say something printable. Never having conducted such and interview, I winged it.
As he emerged, I yelled, "Joseph, what do you have to say?"
He squinted at the flashbulbs and kept moving. Ten feet from the car now.
"Everyone thinks you killed her, defend yourself."
Five feet from the car.
"Why'd you kill her?"
Ducking into the car. My final bid: "Last chance, asshole." But nothing.
(I'm told my last words to him made it into the 6:00 a.m. Channel Four News but I can't find a clip to prove it.)

The following night, before two young men were gunned down at a block party three blocks from my home, I went to a gathering of the tribe at O'Hanlon's. I took advantage of the opportunity to ask Kerry Burke for some pointers. Burke, a titan of police reporting, boasts "the highest rate of return" on perp walks in New York City. Google his byline sometime and read one of his pieces to yourself in a Southie lilt (Burke started at the Globe).

"First thing is, work it out with the other reporters that you're the only one asking questions. One voice. It's very important. Then, when he first comes out, you ask - very sympathetically, 'what happened.' You're his confessor. You're his fucking priest. Always open ended questions, never yes-or-no, because 'yes' or 'no' is not a quote. 'Who's responsible?' 'Why are people saying it's you?' Open, always keep it open. Right up until that car door swings open. Then you give it to them, because it's your last chance. You need to provoke a reaction. Just lean right into their face and yell - "
-and here Burke cocked his head sideways and pronounced the four following syllables slowly with absolute vehemence-
"-you gangster bitch. And see what they do."

(Photo: Joseph Pabon is led from the 1st Precinct after processing. By Victor Nicastro for New York Daily News)