Officer's Family, Police Union Urge Board To Deny Parole For Convicted Cop Killer Eddie Matos

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The family of a police officer who died trying to take a suspect into custody is urging the New York State Parole Board to keep the killer behind bars.

On Oct. 17, 1989, NYPD Officer Anthony Dwyer, 23, responded to a burglary at the McDonalds in Times Square. He chased Eddie Matos to the roof and was attempting to arrest him when Matos shoved Dwyer off the roof.

Dwyer's parents Edward and Marjorie gave victim impact statements to the Parole Board Friday, urging them to deny Matos parole.

"When we go to visit our son, we go to a cemetery. We stand there and look at stone," his mother said. "My son will never get a chance to come back to his family. This guy does not deserve a chance either. He should stay there and rot in hell, as far as I'm concerned."

Every two years, she makes the same plea to the New York State Parole Board to keep her son's killer behind bars.

"It's horrible, it's absolutely horrible," she said." It's like having a cop knock on your door again and tell you something happened to your son."

"Even our so-called 'progressive society' today believes that cop killers should pay for their crimes by losing their freedom forever," said Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch. "We join Ed and Marge Dwyer and their children today to deliver a message to the New York State Parole Board that parole may be appropriate for some low level criminals, but it is never appropriate for cop killers. Keep cop killers in jail for life."

Lynch said Matos is one of 62 cop killers in jail who "won the parole lottery by chance" by being convicted after 1972 - after which there was no death penalty available - and before 2005, after which he could've been sentenced to life without parole.

"This group of mutts got lucky, and in doing so, continue to inflict pain and suffering on the families of police officers whose lives they have taken every two years when they become eligible for parole," Lynch said.

Just recently, convicted cop killer Herman Bell was released on parole after 45 years in prison.

"They let that guy out and I said, 'please God, this is not going to be a continuous thing that every cop killer who's up for parole is going to get out and walk out free,'" Marjorie said.

Matos' interview with the parole board is in a month.