Fallen Officer Alain Schaberger's Killer Found Guilty of Aggravated Manslaughter; Acquitted on Murder

A Brooklyn jury acquitted the man who pushed slain NYPD Officer Alain Schaberger over a Boerum Hill railing of murder Tuesday morning, but convicted him on the charge of aggrevated manslaughter, according to reports.

Officer Alain Schaberger, 42, of the 84th Precinct was attempting to handcuff George Villanueva, also 42, after responding to a domestic violence call. The two men were struggling in a cement stairwell when he was .

Villanueva, who had been arrested 30 times before — mostly for burglary and robbery — . 

The verdict was delivered after less than a day of deliberation. Villanueva faces up to 30 years behind bars on the manslaughter charge when he is sentenced on May 23, according a spokesman for the Brooklyn DA's Office.

After the verdict was read, Villanueva's mother reportedly fell to the ground screaming "Él es inocente. No fue él," or "He is innocent. It wasn't him." The woman then "wedged herself under a courtroom bench as family tried to console her," according to a report by The New York Post.

"We have a sense of justice,” the victim's father, Paul Schaberger, 64, told the Post. “It's not like we're happy but there is a sense of righteousness. There's going to be payment for this act."

The officer also left behind a fiancée.

“This world is a battle between good and evil,” Shoshone Peguese told Peekskill-Cortland Patch . “Evil is what took Alain. He was a soldier for peace.” The couple had planned to marry last summer. 

Instead, she joined thousands of , Long Island, where a  of the fallen officer was held on March 18, 2011.

Senator Daniel Squadron with the support of Senator Martin Golden and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal that would create a felony charge of "aggravated domestic violence" for abusers who commit at least two offenses within a five year period. Villanueva had a 12-year history of repeated offenses. But they were all considered misdemeanors.

"We must continue to honor Officer Schaberger's legacy and give law enforcement the tools to protect all who are impacted by domestic violence and its terrible ripple effects," Senator Squadron told Patch following Wednesday's verdict.  

Stay with Patch for updates. 

*This article has been updated from its original version.