The New York State Parole board has denied patrol for convicted cop-killer John Ruzas.
Ruzas was found guilty in the slaying of Trooper Emerson Dillon on Oct. 24, 1974 when he was on patrol for two previous robberies, according to TWC News.
Dillon had pulled Ruzas' vehicle over on the New York State Thruway near Canastota when he was fatally shot in the heart.
The Police Benevolent Association of NYS Troopers President Thomas H. Mungeer applauded the parole board's decision.
"It is reassuring the parole board saw John Ruzas for who he really is, a man who has no respect for the criminal justice system and the brave men and women who put their lives on the line each and every day to serve and protect the public," he said in a statement.
While this was the 12th time Ruzas was up for parole, it was the first time without Dillon's widow, June, leading the charged to keep him behind bars. She died in 2013 and friends, family and members of the PBA saw it as their responsibility to pick up where she left off.
"When somebody has fallen like that, if there isn't someone to carry the torch then we all step up and do what we can to make sure the right thing gets done," James Johnson, a family friend, told TWC News in October.
