Man involved in July 8 drowning accident wanted as parole escapee – Troy Record

A view of the Troy Police Department. (Melissa Schuman – MediaNews Group file)

TROY, NY — Troy police released more details Friday about the July 8 drowning incident involving a man on a bicycle who police wanted to question after receiving complaints from the neighborhood. Among those new details is that the man was wanted by the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision as a fugitive parole offender.

The deceased was identified as Melquan A. Simpson, 33, of Troy.

According to Deputy Police Chief Steven Barker, the first officer to initiate the call was Officer Dean Mahunik. Barker said Mahunik joined the Troy Police Department in 2020. The second officer to initiate the call was Officer James Hallenbeck, who joined the Troy Police Department in 2022 and has been a police officer since 2020.

Officials said both officers were conducting surveillance in the 2nd Avenue corridor in the 116th Street area after the department received several complaints about illegal drug sales/use and prostitution in the area in recent months.

According to the press release, department officials have recently increased their efforts in this area, resulting in several arrests for related activities.

On July 8, officers noted that officers observed the area for approximately 15 minutes. During this time, officers observed Simpson, wearing a balaclava and a shoulder bag, repeatedly circling the block on his bicycle on each sidewalk.

Based on complaints from the neighborhood, recent similar drug trafficking/use arrests in the area, observed violations of the Troy Code Ordinance, and the officers’ training and experience, they decided to stop Simpson to question him about his actions, city police said. When officers attempted to stop Simpson, he fled on his bicycle and eventually rode over an embankment into the Hudson River, police said.

City police said Simpson was unknown to officers at the time of the attempted interview, but during the subsequent investigation, Troy police learned that Simpson was a parolee under the supervision of the NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) and was actively sought by that organization as a parole evader.

In addition, according to city police, Simpson was in possession of a quantity of cocaine in a shoulder bag he was carrying at the time of the incident.

“Our investigation will continue in parallel with the preliminary assessment being conducted by the New York State Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigations. We remain committed to making all available information available for release as it is collected and confirmed,” Barker said in the press release Friday. “As part of that, please see the following YouTube link for video of the incident from the Troy Police Department. The video includes video from a car camera and a body-worn camera.

“We are grateful for the support of other agencies and staff during the initial response and subsequent investigation. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this incident. We will continue to keep you updated on any significant developments.”