'I'm just sorry he's not dead'

Gun parolee's hate

By DOUGLAS MONTERO, SABRINA FORD and DAN MANGAN

Last Updated: 9:53 AM, April 17, 2010

Posted: 2:20 AM, April 17, 2010

Comments: 38

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A convicted murderer's only regret about shooting his Brooklyn parole officer was that he didn't kill the man, whom he hated for bullying him with endless office visits and inflexible rules that made the shooter late for his job every day.

"I'm just sorry he's not dead," fumed Robert "Poison" Morales, 50, as he was led to his arraignment on charges he seriously wounded Samuel Salters, 49, in a Downtown Brooklyn parole office Thursday.

"He deserved it . . . He's an a- -hole."

Morales had just begun a meeting with Salters when he allegedly pulled out a 9mm handgun and shot the 18-year parole-office veteran in the shoulder before his gun jammed and he was grabbed by other officers.

Paul Martinka

'HAD ENOUGH': Convicted killer Robert "Poison" Morales, in custody yesterday, shot his parole officer because the officer's demands were ruining his life, pals say.

Salters, who underwent nearly four hours of surgery at Bellevue Hospital for injuries including damaged organs, has suffered two heart attacks since the shooting, a prosecutor said.

Morales "decided he'd had enough of his relationship with Samuel Salters," Assistant District Attorney Louis Lieberman said.

"He didn't like the way Samuel Salters disrespected him. He felt Salters treated him like a child.

"He stated that he aimed for Salters' face."

Morales' childhood friend Chuck DeJesus, 51, said Morales nearly came to blows with Salters two years ago -- before Salters started handling his case -- after the officer refused Morales' request to escort him out of a parole office as required by the site's rules.

Despite their history, DeJesus said, Salters was assigned to oversee Morales' parole in recent months and immediately began "disrupting his life."

Salters insisted Morales check in with him twice a month -- double the previous officer's requirement -- and forbade him from leaving his Brooklyn home earlier than 7 a.m., which made Morales late to his Bronx job.

He also made him wait up to five hours in his office before meeting with him, DeJesus said.

Morales "felt that when they switched him to this guy, that he was never going to get off parole," DeJesus said.

The friend said Morales asked for a new officer, but was denied. A parole spokesman said there was no record of that request or any complaints against Salters.

A 61-year-old ex-con who knew Salters from the parole office said the officer was known for being unnecessarily tough.

"He had it coming," the man said.

DeJesus said Morales had given away most of his belongings in recent weeks.

"He probably knew he was going to do this," DeJesus said. "I guess he wanted to die or go back to jail."

Additional reporting by Murray Weiss and Paul Martinka

douglas.montero@nypost.com

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Comments (37)

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Lorenzo Jones

04/18/2010 2:20 AM

Glad the PO got it. Parole officers like this one are a low lot who want to show how tough they are, maybe the rest won't be such peabrains after this. The PO made life miserable when he is supposed to help a life get together, he deserved it because this poor guy will take the heat for the no good bum PO. The guy was working and he deliberatly made him wait five hours, that is awful, that is just to show what a big shot the PO was. I hope they dig on the bum PO and find out every rotten thing he did. This guy had parole, he was done, and the bum PO didn't want him out, for his own sick reasons. Glad you did it, Poison, good riddance to bad rubbish.
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jvec

04/17/2010 8:51 PM

you can only push a person so far before they will snap.most people are not violent by nature they want to live and let live.im not condoning what the ex con did by no means im just saying
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GHIGGS

04/17/2010 8:46 PM

For all you idiots out there who say "Morales should have complained to the superiors in the parole office!"; "CONVICTS DON'T COMPLAIN OR "SNITCH"! These are the rules they have lived by while incarcerated! We all know people in law enforcement frequently abuse their authority! We all know Parole Officer Salters got Morales switched under him so he could abuse and bully the man! Morales is an ex-con but he's also a human being trying to get on with his life! He's paid his debt to society! Salters was going to eventually have Morales' freedom taken away from him for good; so Morales decided, if he was going to return to prison, he might as well go with the satisfaction of killing the man who was going to wrongfully send him there! I understand Morales! He was trapped! He had no other choice! Complain? No one would listen to him anyway because he is an ex-convict! Morales should be paroled in witness protection and allowed to live his life! Salters is a Punk Cowering behind his badge! He got what he deserved! God I hate Bullies!
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GHIGGS

04/17/2010 8:29 PM

Morales paid his debt to society and was trying to get on with his life! That POS Samuel Salters wanted to abuse and bully this man because he was in a position of authority and could get away with his abuse. He was certain Morales would not retaliate because he's the "Big Bad Parole Officer"! So he began to bully him w/ impunity. Look who got bullied back! The man is an ex-con! He's had to do battle with worse for 25 years just to survive! He knew Salters would violate him back to prison eventually! Morales got him first and for a really good reason! Morales is a Human Being and a Hero! Samuel Salters is a Punk! He got what was coming to him! I Salters won't be bullying anyone else anymore! I'm so happy he got his butt handed to him! A hard lesson but he had to learn it! Morales just wanted to keep his dignity! He has it now! Keep your head up Morales! You have our respect!!!
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silasdog

04/17/2010 6:59 PM

LongIslander is right on target. Well said, sir.
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L. Angel

04/17/2010 6:45 PM

If he didn't want to answer to a parole officer, he shouldn't have committed a crime in the first place!
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Toidy Toid and Toid

04/17/2010 6:15 PM

Numb skull should have complained to the media like the NY Post. He would have been hailed as a product of a reformed man looking for chance to restart his lousy existence.

But he's right. "He had it coming."

Ever see Dustin Hoffmann as an ex-con trying to go straight in the classic STRAIGHT TIME (1978). He handcuffs his parole officer in the middle of the busy highway at rush hour and pulls down his pants exposing his peepee!
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Long Islander

04/17/2010 5:42 PM

"product of society" is a cop-out so criminals don't have to take responsibility for their actions.

was it because he was a "product of society" that made him a felon, originally? if so, why isn't every other member of society a felon like him?

there's no such thing as "product of society," there are only right and wrong choices and everyone has free-will to make their own choices...