UPDATE: Man charged with deadly stabbing on Frost Ave screams at judge during arraignment

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A parolee was charged with murder after Rochester police said he stabbed 42-year-old Antoine Parris to death on Thursday night.

RPD said Lequan Hill, 29, got into an argument with family members on Frost Ave near Olean Street. According to police, Parris was trying to break apart an argument when Hill stabbed him five times in the neck and body.

Parris is the 70th homicide victim of this year.

Officers responded to the stabbing at around 6:45 p.m. and Parris was rushed to URMC for treatment, where he died shortly after arrival. Police say that both Hill and Parris lived on Frost Avenue.

At one point one man ran under the caution tape screaming “That’s my cousin.” Police had to escort him off the crime scene.

Police arrested Hill later into Thursday evening around Ford Street. He is being held in jail on no bail.

Hill was arraigned on his second-degree murder charge on Friday morning. If our cameras were allowed inside the court, you would have seen a murder suspect screaming profanities at the judge and his lawyer claiming he was a sovereign citizen and they have no authority over him. Sitting in the court, exposed to all of it, was the victim’s family.

Here’s what Assistant District Attorney Michael Harrigan had to say.

“Mr. Parris had nothing to do with the argument, wasn’t involved in the argument with the defendant at all, was merely trying to be a good samaritan, a peacekeeper, and was literally in the wrong place at the wrong time trying to do the right thing,” Harrigan said.

Here’s what we know about Hill. He has three prior violent felony convictions including burglary and robbery. He was released from prison in September and put on parole.

On October 24th, he was arrested by parole for cutting off his ankle monitor. RPD says the next day, October 25th, he was released with a new ankle monitor.

The NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision released the following statement:

“Lequan Hill failed to comply with his terms of release, removed his GPS device and absconded from supervision. After being apprehended on Oct. 25 for absconding from parole supervision, Mr. Hill was in custody at the Monroe County Jail. State law requires an individual to have a recognizance hearing within 24 hours of the execution of the parole warrant where a judge makes a release decision and determines whether the individual charged is a risk for not reappearing at future parole revocation hearings. While DOCCS requested Judge Doug Randall remand Mr. Hill, as he fit the legal criteria of an individual who posed a ‘substantial risk of willfully failing to appear’ at preliminary or final revocation hearings, Judge Randall used his discretion to release Mr. Hill from custody on October 26. Upon Mr. Hill’s release by the court, DOCCS Parole Officers followed department protocol and reinstated his electronic monitoring while his out-of-custody parole revocation process proceeds.”

Here’s what we learned. Since the “Less is More“, parole reform in march, cutting off an ankle monitor is now a technical violation. Parolees must get a hearing within 24 hours.

Judges are only allowed to consider if a parolee is a flight risk or if they will return to court. Judges are not allowed to consider if the parolee is dangerous. 

At the time of the murder, Hill was on parole after serving time in prison for robbery and dangerous prison contraband. He was released from prison on September 10. Police said Hill has three felony convictions, two of which are violent.

Hill is back in court next Wednesday.