Former Eastchester Cop Convicted of Manslaughter

A former Eastchester police officer has been convicted of manslaughter in connection with the death of his friend.

James Pileggi, 31, of Mill Road in Eastchester, was convicted Wednesday of one count of second degree involuntary manslaughter for causing the death of New Rochelle realtor Andre Everett.

Everett was killed on November 3, 2009 when he went out to his driveway to talk to a group of friends who were in Pileggi’s car.

Pileggi, who was an off-duty Eastchester police officer at the time, was sitting in the front passenger seat and was playing with his 9mm Glock pistol when the gun went off, striking Everett in the throat as he was standing by the rear driver's door.

Everett was taken to Sound Shore Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

An investigation led to Pileggi’s arrest. Pileggi’s first trial in connection with the incident ended in a hung jury. A second jury ultimately convicted him.

“This defendant was a police officer who had worked in two Westchester County police departments and had repeated training in the use and safeguarding of his firearm,” Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore said following the jury’s verdict. “For former police officer Pileggi to claim that the shooting of his friend was an accident and not a conscious disregard for due care and safety is absurd and simply a ploy to avoid accountability for his reckless actions, actions for which this jury found him responsible." 

Pileggi faces up to 15 years in state prison. He will be sentenced on Jan. 12 of next year.