A New York town official has been arrested after reportedly shooting a DoorDash delivery driver who became lost while attempting to deliver food in Chester, a town approximately 60 miles north of Manhattan. The highway superintendent, John Reilly, is facing first degree assault and criminal possession of a firearm charges, as reported by ABC News. Last Friday night, the delivery man, unable to find his way using the DoorDash app, resorted to asking residents for directions to the intended delivery address.
Having approached several homes before finding himself at Reilly's property, the DoorDash driver was instructed to leave. Returning to his vehicle, police allege that Reilly shot the driver in the back, as he was leaving the property, inflicting serious injuries. According to police statements obtained by NBC New York, the incident occurred around 10 p.m. and led to Reilly's arrest the following day.
State police detailed that Reilly, also a federally licensed firearms dealer, fired multiple shots at the departing victim. The arrest led to Reilly being remanded to the Orange County Jail, with bail set at $250,000 in cash or bonds totaling up to $750,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, as per the information provided by authorities. Public records and town officials had little to offer on whether Reilly had obtained legal representation by the time news outlets reported the event.
In a statement shared with ABC News, DoorDash expressed that they were "devastated by this senseless act of violence," and sent wishes for the unnamed driver's full and speedy recovery. Chester Town Supervisor Brandon Holdridge stated in a Facebook post that although the situation is concerning to the local government, any decision regarding Reilly's position is outside their authority due to his status as an elected official. The investigation was handed over to state police, as the local police department recused itself because the suspect is a town official.
