Slain cop Peter Figoski handcuffed his own killer last night.
In an emotional moment, the cuffs assigned to the tragic, decorated NYPD veteran were slapped on his accused murderer before the coldblooded ex-con was hauled past hundreds of seething cops — including Figoski’s partner — and into a Brooklyn court to face charges that could land him behind bars for life.
POST LAUNCHES FUND FOR HERO’S GIRLS
“[Figoski] was targeted for death because he wore the uniform of a New York City police officer,” grim-faced Assistant District Attorney Kenneth Taub told Judge John Hecht, who remanded Lamont Pride until his next court appearance, on Friday.
Figoski’s patrol partner, Glenn Estrada, 42, stood stoically front and center in uniform in the packed courtroom, along with the tragic cop’s brother, retired Police Officer Robert Figoski.
Less than 48 hours earlier, Estrada had chased down Pride as the suspect fled the scene of Monday’s drug-theft-gone-awry in Cypress Hills, Brooklyn, that left Figoski, a single dad of four daughters, dead.
Taub described the beefy Pride as the “muscle man’’ of the operation, which included four cohorts.
“[Pride] made a choice to end the officer’s life rather than conform and be arrested,’’ Taub said.
Pride, 27, confessed to a “substantial degree,” Taub said, although he still won’t admit to intentionally killing Figoski.
Also held without bail were Pride’s four alleged accomplices: accused ringleader Nelson Morales, 27; Ariel Tejada, 22; accused getaway driver Michael Velez, 21, and 30-year-old ex-con Kevin Santos, an affiliate of the Latin Kings street gang.
Santos was wearing Estrada’s cuffs while a third thug was bound with cuffs carried by Figoski’s former partner, Ricky Giordano.
The courtroom drama — which included one cop holding up a photo of Figoski, 47, so his accused killers could see it — capped a dramatic day:
* Pride’s accomplices were apprehended after a furious, 24-hour manhunt, quick-thinking police work — and a little luck, authorities said.
* Police Commissioner Ray Kelly lashed out at North Carolina authorities who had a warrant out for Pride, saying they should have picked him up before Monday’s murder — and the out-of-state officials quickly retorted that New York was to blame.
* Officials revealed new details about the crime that led to Figoski’s death, including that two of the perpetrators tried to fool cops into thinking the suspects were good Samaritans at the scene.
* The Post joined the New York City Police Foundation in launching an education fund for Figoski’s children.
Early in the day, Pride was hauled out of the 75th Precinct station house in shackles, sporting a white jumpsuit along with a dead-eyed stare.
He was put in the first of a line of five unmarked police cars waiting outside the station house — where both Figoski and Estrada have worked their entire careers.
The alleged accomplices — each already convicted criminals — showed no emotion and didn’t speak as they were placed into the vehicles.
The cars then drove off to Brooklyn Criminal Court, where cops stood on benches and applauded as the suspects were led out after their arraignments.
Meanwhile, Kelly revealed details about the weapon that killed Figoski.
The gun, a 9mm Ruger semiautomatic pistol, was sold in 1999 by a Colonial Heights, Va., pawnshop to an unidentified man.
That man, Kelly said, “later claimed he lost it during the eviction from his residence in 1999.”
“The gun was never reported stolen,” Kelly said, and somehow, it wound up in Pride’s hands.
According to Kelly, Pride and his four accomplices met early Monday at an apartment in Queens to plot the robbery of a man who lived in the basement apartment of 25 Pine St. in Cypress Hills. The man was a known pot dealer, Kelly said.
The crew, armed with the Ruger and a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, drove to the building and entered the basement by kicking in the gate and door, police said.
A ski-masked Pride and Santos — who had been released on parole for a robbery rap just two months ago — pistol-whipped the 25-year-old pot dealer, police said. The crew then grabbed more than $700 cash and a cheap wristwatch before starting to flee.
The landlord called 911. Two cops arrived at around 2:15 a.m., followed closely by Figoski and Estrada.
As Pride and Santos hid in a storage room in the basement, the first two officers found the bloodied tenant along with Tejada and Morales — who posed as neighbors who had raced over to help, Kelly said.
But cops got suspicious because the two men began describing — a little too well — the weapons used in the heist.
As the cops were talking to the trio, Pride and Santos slipped out of their hiding space and ran into Estrada and Figoski, the commissioner said.
While Estrada struggled with Santos, Pride shot Figoski in the face with the 9mm and ran off, Kelly said. Estrada then broke off his fight with Santos and chased Pride.
As the mayhem with Pride and Santos went down, the fifth alleged accomplice, Velez, was sitting outside the apartment building in a gold Nissan Maxima that the robbers planned to use as a getaway car, police said.
After patrol cars arrived at the shooting scene and boxed in his Nissan, Velez, without anyone noticing, ducked out of the car and walked off to a local bar, sources said.
There, he called a livery cab, which drove him to a Queens residence.
But cops were able to find Velez — who was busted at his cousin’s home — after finding a surveillance video that showed him getting into the livery cab, which had a triangular sticker on it, sources said.
Figoski’s funeral will be held Monday morning at St. Joseph’s Parish Church in Babylon, LI, where he and his four daughters were baptized, colleagues said.
In court, Pat Lynch, president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Assocation, speaking before an estimated 1,000 cops, called the accused killers “evil miscreants.’’
“Because of [Figoski’s] heroism, we have now the opportunity to bring them to justice,’’ he said.
Additional reporting by Jamie Schram, Andy Campbell, Doug Auer, Kirstan Conley, Larry Celona and Jessica Simeone
Rouges’ gallery a ‘murderers’ row’
LAMONT PRIDE, 27, Greensboro, NC
* Charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, aggravated murder, weapons possession
* Five prior arrests, including for allegedly shooting a man, drugs, theft and knife possession
* Felony warrant out on him in North Carolina for the shooting
KEVIN SANTOS, 30, Ozone Park, Queens
* Charged with second-degree murder, weapons possession
* 11 priors, including for drugs, assault and robbery
* Paroled Oct. 1 on robbery rap involving knife
ARIEL TEJADA, 22, Ozone Park, Queens
* Charged with seconddegree murder, weapons possession
* One prior for burglary, but multiple sealed arrests
NELSON MORALES, 27, Ozone Park, Queens
* Charged with second-degree murder, weapons possession
* Five priors, including for robbery, DWI and pot
MICHAEL VELEZ, 21, Ozone Park, Queens
* Charged with seconddegree murder, weapons possession
* Four priors, including for attempted murder, weapons and drugs
ACCUSED: Cops escort alleged triggerman Lamont Pride (center) last night, along with suspected cohort Kevin Santos. (Paul Martinka)
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