ICE takes custody of Panamanian national convicted of murdering police officer 40 years ago
NEW YORK – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) took custody of Carlos Celestino Payne-Archer, 64, May 21.
Payne-Archer, a Panamanian national, was convicted in the first-degree murder of Joseph Taylor, Jr., a New York City Police Department (NYPD) detective.
On March 30, 1978, a judge sentenced Payne-Archer, also known as Karl Dean, to 25 years to life in prison for the shooting death of Taylor in Brooklyn, New York.
In 1995, an immigration judge ordered Payne-Archer’s removal, after he was identified as a deportable alien inmate by the legacy Immigration and Naturalization Service’s Institutional Removal Program. Payne-Archer, who initially entered the United States as a visitor in 1973, will remain in ICE custody pending his removal to Panama.
On Aug. 29, 1977, Taylor and his partner, Officer Roy DeSetto, were responding to a 911 emergency call about a man with a gun at an apartment in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, according to police reports.
Upon identifying themselves as police officers, Taylor and DeSetto were met with gunfire as they tried to enter the apartment. Taylor, who was struck in the chest by a shotgun blast, succumbed to his injury.
DeSetto, who continued to engage the five assailants inside the apartment with gunfire, fatally wounded one. Two other assailants tried to escape through a window while Payne-Archer, who also sustained a gunshot wound during the firefight, was later charged in Taylor’s death.
“We recently observed National Police Week, which honors the sacrifice and ultimate devotion of the men and women who serve in law enforcement. As I read about the heroic actions of Detective Taylor and Officer DeSetto on that day more than 40 years ago, I am reminded of the tremendous danger law enforcement officers face every day,” said New York ERO Field Office Director Thomas R. Decker. “While many Americans are sheltering in place during the coronavirus pandemic, that’s not an option for law enforcement officers. I hope that every American realizes that despite the inherent danger of this job, law enforcement officers like Detective Taylor and Officer DeSetto, continue to uphold their sworn duty to keep our communities safe.”
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