Cop Guilty of Murder For Shooting Fiancee During Street Quarrel

A Police Officer Sept. 30 was convicted of murdering his 22-year-old fiancée two years ago on a street in Woodhaven, Queens.

Harry Rupnarine, 39, was found guilty of second-degree murder following a three-week jury trial before Queens Supreme Court Justice Michael Aloise. Mr. Rupnarine, a fouryear veteran of the NYPD’s Transit Task Force, faces up to 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on Oct. 29. He was fired upon his conviction.

Shot Her During Argument

According to trial testimony, Mr. Rupnarine and his fiancée, Guiatree Hardat, 22, of Brooklyn, were arguing on Atlantic Avenue at 7:30 p.m. on May 10, 2007, when the Police Officer withdrew his service-issued Glock 9- millimeter handgun and shot Ms. Hardat in the back of the head. They had been dating on and off for the previous 16 months.

Mr. Rupnarine claimed he was shooting at knife-wielding thugs and accidentally struck her.

Queen District Attorney Richard A. Brown said, “This is a tragic case from any perspective. A young woman has been murdered and a New York City Police Officer has been convicted of that murder. However, the sad reality is that this was, in essence, a domestic violence incident that occurs all too frequently and illustrates that police officers are not immune from social problems that are endemic in our society.” T.H.