Suffolk police identify man fatally shot by officer in Manorville

The state attorney general is investigating after a Suffolk police officer shot and killed a man who had been lying in a parked car on a residential street in Manorville, following a physical struggle with police, Suffolk police said Friday.

Police identified the man as Jesse Bonsignore, 44. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Bonsignore's last known address was in Commack, but investigators believe he was living in his car at the time of his death.

Suffolk police said its homicide section, as well as the state attorney general's office of special investigation, are probing the shooting. A spokeswoman for Attorney General Letitia James did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Suffolk police, in describing the shooting in a news release, said an officer was dispatched to Bauer Avenue at 10:45 p.m. Thursday after receiving the 911 call reporting a "suspicious person lying in the back seat of a vehicle."

"The officer engaged him, and a struggle ensued," police said in a statement. "The officer fired his gun, striking the man." Police did not provide more details of the interaction.

The officer, whose name was not released, was taken to Peconic Bay Medical Center for treatment and later released, police added. Any injuries to the officer were not detailed.

Police said a knife was recovered from Bonsignore, but police did not say where the knife was found or what Bonsignore was doing with it.

Bonsignore, according to police, had at least one minor arrest, but police did not provide details. Police also said he had previously been taken for hospital evaluations, but no details were provided.

Police said there was no body camera footage of the shooting, though detectives were reviewing surveillance video and canvassing the area for additional video. Detectives had also interviewed area residents, police said. Only about 10 Suffolk police officers assigned to patrol the Long Island Expressway have body cameras, though the department has said it plans to equip its patrol force with the technology.

Bonsignore’s stepfather, Tom Dovale, 61, said Friday that Bonsignore was diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been living in his car. Dovale said Bonsignore had been working as an Uber driver.

"He was transient and kept a knife to eat," Doval said. "He was docile and they didn’t mention the Bible and notations in his car. He was very religious and wouldn’t hurt a fly."

Dovale, who spoke to Newsday exclusively, said he recognized Bonsignore's vehicle in news reports by the prayer beads hanging from the rear view mirror and a silver cross emblem on the rear of the car.

"Mental health is a serious issue no one talks about or is there to take care of him," said Dovale, who said Bonsignore had previously been treated at Pilgrim State Psychiatric Hospital. "He was unarmed and shot."

Dovale said he wished he could see body camera footage of the encounter. "I'm not blaming the police officer. If he had to protect himself, he had to protect himself," he said.

Suffolk police detectives, crime scene personnel and the Suffolk County medical examiner were on the scene Friday and police were examining a Hyundai that was later towed away from the scene. The shooting occurred on a largely wooded stretch of Bauer Avenue, at the intersection of Frontier Trail, just south of the LIE.

Police Benevolent Association president Noel DiGerolamo, whose union represents the department's patrol force, said Friday that the officer who shot the man was "attacked" and the man had attempted to take the officer’s firearm.

"This officer was responding to a 911 call, and was subsequently attacked by an individual who attempted to take the officer’s firearm from him, and the only intention of doing that would have been to bring that officer significant harm or death," DiGerolamo said.

Shannon Roth, 44, said she was walking her dogs with her boyfriend up Bauer Avenue when she said a man in a Hyundai approached her at 9:30 p.m. Thursday and offered her a ride.

"He stopped and then apologized and sped away," Roth said. "He wasn’t threatening, just peculiar. I wasn’t alarmed or scared, but something seemed off."

She said she reported her encounter with the man to police.

Dawn Stewart, 56, another nearby resident, said that she heard gunshots outside her bedroom window.

"I was laying in bed last night, everyone was sleeping and I heard 'boom boom' and I was shocked," Stewart said. "I call this town Mayberry. I’ve never seen anything like this happen in this area."

Other neighbors said they were unaware of the shooting until the morning, when they awoke to police lights and news crews filling their block.

Ken Cino, 51, said he was asleep when the shooting occurred. "It’s absolutely crazy. Nothing like this has happened in 29 years. It’s so peaceful," Cino said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Homicide Squad at 631-852-6392 or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 800-220-8477.

With Joan Gralla

By Nicole Fuller

nicole.fuller@newsday.com,john.asbury@newsday.com@NicoleFuller,

Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.