A Brooklyn man on Thursday was sentenced to 10 years in prison and five years of post-release supervision for a 2021 drive-by shooting of an Uber Eats driver.
Laquan Battle, 28, of New Lots, Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder last month and was sentenced by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Jane Tully, according to a press release.
Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez condemned Battle’s actions as a reckless act of violence that endangered public safety.
“This defendant’s decision to open fire on an innocent driver was a shocking act of violence that put a stranger’s life at risk and terrorized a peaceful neighborhood," Gonzalez said. "Today’s sentence reflects our commitment to confronting gun violence with accountability. My office will continue to pursue justice for those who recklessly endanger public safety and ensure that everyone in Brooklyn can feel safe in their community."
Evidence presented in court showed that on Dec. 5, 2021, Battle drove by the 22-year-old victim, who was parked in his 2004 Toyota Sienna in front of 1228 Pacific St. in Crown Heights at approximately 11:45pm. As the victim took a break between Uber Eats deliveries, Battle stopped his vehicle slightly ahead of the victim’s, cursed at him and then fired approximately four rounds from a 9mm handgun toward the victim's car.
One of the bullets struck the victim’s vehicle, while a second bullet hit an adjacent parked car. The victim was not injured in the incident.
The investigation began when detectives from the 77th Precinct obtained video surveillance footage showing the red Kia that Battle was driving. They identified the car’s license plate and issued a felony alarm for the vehicle. The investigation led to Battle’s identification as the shooter.
Battle was apprehended in May 2022 in Jonesboro, Ga., and was later extradited to New York to face charges.
