Friday was sentencing day for the man who was found guilty of shooting two police officers in the Bronx and ambushing the 41st Precinct back in 2020.  

Robert Williams accepted a plea deal in September on two counts of attempted murder of an NYPD officer. He received two concurrent sentences for those attempted murder charges that are 23 years to life. 

Williams will be eligible for parole once that 23 years is up. Both Williams and NYPD officer Brian Hanlon spoke in court, where Hanlon recalled the day four years ago where he almost watched his partner die.  

“I still carry the vivid image of my partner holding his neck, and blood all over the front of his uniform,” said Hanlon. “It is a traumatizing experience to see your best friend shot in the face and neck, and not know how severe the injuries were.” 

Hanlon and his partner Sgt. Paul Stroffolino were parked on Simpson Street when Williams approached the van and opened fire. Stroffolino was hit, but luckily survived his injuries.  

The incident continued into the next day, where on Feb. 9, 2020, investigators say Williams marched into the precinct, firing multiple shots – one that hit a lieutenant in the arm. Williams was on parole for attempted murder at that time.  

“The parole board is a travesty,” said Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association. “They’ve let cop killer after cop killer back on the streets of the city of New York.” 

Williams spoke in court, saying he had no intention of killing anyone.  

“Y’all beat me up and tased me and swept it under the rug,” said Williams. “I know I made poor decisions and poor choices, I apologize to the precinct and the cop. I wasn’t trying to kill nobody.” 

The PBA says that while Williams is now off the streets, they are not satisfied and will be back when his sentence is done to ensure he won’t be able to harm anyone else.