Judge tells Brandon Scanlon, of Middle Island, he was 'lucky to be alive' after shooting at officers while evading police

A Suffolk judge called a Middle Island man’s decision to fire several gunshots at police officers during a high-speed chase last year "unthinkable, dangerous and reckless," as he sentenced him to a bargained-for sentence of 20 years in prison Thursday.

State Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro said Brandon Scanlon was "lucky to be alive" after his actions on April 4, 2024, when he attempted to evade police executing a search warrant at a home in Bohemia by fleeing in a vehicle.

"Attempted murder of a police officer comes with enhanced sentence sanctions because police officers put their lives on the line every day to protect us," Ambro told Scanlon during his sentencing in Riverhead. "And in a high-speed chase to avoid a drug arrest, you shot at them."

Scanlon, 34, declined to speak at sentencing. He previously pleaded guilty to attempted murder of a police officer, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon for a ghost gun found inside his vehicle and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Scanlon had faced a maximum sentence of 25 years to life.

Scanlon’s defense attorney, Ian Fitzgerald, of Hampton Bays, told the judge his client has accepted responsibility and "never intended to kill anyone, even the police officers."

"If you’re shooting at a police officer, your intent is to kill them," Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association president Lou Civello responded outside the courtroom. "Any statement to the contrary is nonsense."

Police at the time said detectives were executing the search warrant in a long-term drug investigation just before 7 p.m. when Scanlon sped away in a minivan, striking an officer twice and knocking him to the ground. Police followed the minivan and had multiple exchanges of gunfire with Scanlon during a 25-minute pursuit as he fled from Bohemia, through Brentwood and Bay Shore, police said.

The pursuit ended when Scanlon crashed into a tree on North Sunrise Highway Service Road east of Robert Moses Causeway, police said.

"He endangered countless bystanders with his incredibly reckless driving," Assistant District Attorney Jacob Kubetz told the judge.

Several of the officers involved in the chase, including the officer who was struck by Scanlon’s vehicle, attended Thursday’s sentencing. The officers were not identified by name and declined to speak with reporters.

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said Scanlon’s arrest and conviction followed months of "really hard work," including a wiretap investigation. Court records show Scanlon was one of 15 defendants ultimately indicted in the case.

Tierney said drug investigations are "always dangerous" due to the likely presence of guns and there’s concern officers will be placed in harm’s way while arresting suspects.

"You sit back saying ‘I hope nobody gets hurt,’" Tierney said at a news conference following sentencing. "And [no thanks] to the defendant, nobody got [seriously] hurt."

Scanlon had one prior drug conviction and was previously sentenced to a year in county jail, Ambro noted at sentencing.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.