Rockville Centre detective faces hate crime charges over incident in Manorville

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. – A Rockville Centre police detective faces hate crime charges following an incident in Manorville, prosecutors said Wednesday. 
According to authorities, on Nov. 3 around 7 p.m. John Murphy, 40, approached an AT&T subcontractor who was working at the the corner of Sylvan Court and Weeks Avenue. Murphy allegedly identified himself as a police officer and asked what the man was doing in the area, and then refused to look at the worker’s credentials. 
Murphy then allegedly kicked the worker’s SUV and tore a light off from the top of it and hurled it at the worker, while using a racial slur. 
Murphy, a 15-year veteran of the force, faces criminal mischief as a hate crime and aggravated harassment. He’s due in court Wednesday. 
“The victim here was just trying to do his job, when the defendant allegedly harassed him and damaged his vehicle. To make matters worse, the defendant is a sworn law enforcement officer, responsible for protecting the rights of citizens, rather than violating them, as is alleged here,” Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said. “I thank the Suffolk County Police Department’s Hate Crimes Unit for taking this crime seriously and following the evidence no matter where it led. Such conduct will not be tolerated in Suffolk County.” 
“To date, we’ve had 17 hate crimes in this county, and 68 hate incidents. There is no place for hate in this county. We’re not tolerant of people who do these type of things,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said. “I don’t care what your status is in life, and this gentleman happened to be a detective in another police department in Rockville Centre, but that doesn’t excuse hate. Hate has no place in Suffolk County, regardless, and we will pursue all these hate crimes to the fullest extent of the law because it has no place in Suffolk County.”