Gyro Line Cut Killer Acquitted

The line at the Halal Chicken and Gyro at 53rd and Sixth. (Courtesy The Eaten Path)

After deliberating for just four hours, a jury acquitted the man accused of fatally stabbing a 19-year-old college student who cut the line at the popular midtown Halal Chicken and Gyro food cart. Ziad Tayeh, 26, never denied killing Tyrone Gibbons during the October 2006 fight, but he's always maintained that it was in self-defense. The bloody incident began when Gibbons, his brother Shannon, and a third man, Chandradat Deodat, insinuated themselves in front of Tayeh on the line. When he protested, an argument led to a car chase and then a fateful confrontation at a red light at 52nd Street.

Taking the witness stand this week, Deodat reversed his previous statements and admitted he lied about some details to protect Shannon Gibbons, who had been driving with a suspended license. It appears that Deodat's reversal hurt his credibility with the jury—though Deodat denies it, Tayeh claims that Shannon Gibbons held a knife (or "something sharp") to his neck during the altercation, leaving him no choice but to lash out with his own blade, killing Tyrone.

When the verdict was read yesterday, the mothers of both Tayeh and his victim, Tyrone Noel Gibbons, 19, began to shout and sob in the audience, according to the Post. Outside the courtroom, Tayeh apologized to the Gibbons family, but told reporters, "As far as the system, I'm not too fond of it anymore."

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By John Del Signore in News on December 17, 2009 9:00 AM

Comments [rss]

Erk

JDS- you wrote, "...themselves in front of Tayeh on the line..." Unless there is a line painted on the ground one is IN line not on it.

John Del Signore

You're obviously not a real New Yorker.

Angelheaded Hipster

its perfect and perfectly used

i have spoken

GOP

"They were good kids, never had a problem."

Radtard

I'm sorry to be one of those people but:

"The bloody incident began when Gibbons, his brother Shannon, and a third man, Chandradat Deodat, insinuated themselves in front of Tayeh on the line."

I have no idea how you insinuate your self into a physical space.... maybe situate.

whitecastlerock

It's an attempt on the writer's part to spice up to a relatively dull story...

John Del Signore

If you have no idea, you could try looking it up.

GOP

Looked it up and agree with Radtard. Using an intransitive verb for a direct object is a no no.

John Del Signore

You can agree with him, but you're both wrong. The usage is correct, and not uncommon.

Angelheaded Hipster

what are you insinuating? ha

hotstepper

sooooo...was it a good gyro?

JenChungsBaby

Now they should all be prosecuted for Line Cutting In the 3rd Degree, punishable by a maximum of three years in jail.

grizzzly

Why are you complaining about the system? You were let off without punishment after killing someone (not going to delve into whether it was justified, defense, etc.) after a remarkably speedy trial. It's the guy held for five years without trial or people languishing in overseas prisons without being charged that should be down on the system at this point.

Soggy

I think the reason he's not too fond of the system is because he realizes that if Deodat hadn't revealed that he was lying he would be in jail right now.

Splicer

The fact that someone would engage in a car chase over a gyro incident might have prompted me as a juror to consider that the trio of line-cutters might be a bit, I don't know, aggressive.

potsmoker

seems like juries are getting the message.

the police lie, the da lies, witnesses lie.

whoops, the witness story was made up and he admitted it.

a very rare thing!

congratulations on your legal victory.