Jon-Adrian Velazquez found out Monday he is a free man. 

He hugged his mother, fiancé and son at the Manhattan Civil Courthouse.

What You Need To Know

  • Jon-Adrian Velazquez got his case thrown out after being in prison for more than 25 years

  • Velazquez was convicted for murdering a retired cop in 1999, according to officials

  • The Post Conviction Justice Unit has dismissed more than 500 convictions to date

Velazquez's hands raised in the air as he walked out the door.

“I’m lucky to be free," he said.

The Manhattan district attorney's office said Velazquez was convicted of shooting and killing retired Officer Albert Ward outside of a gambling parlor in Harlem in 1999 after a robbery broke out.

The Manhattan district attorney's office discovered they had the wrong guy.

He was 22 years old at the time and was then behind bars for more than 25 years.

There were two motions in 2014 and 2018 to vacate his case that were denied by the court, according to officials.

“I had people fighting for me and that is the only reason why I am here today," Velazquez said.

On Monday, he was freed from blame after a betting slip recovered did not have any of his DNA. This is evidence that was not available to the jury years ago.

“I’m lucky that so many people believed in me for so long when every morning they had a chance to drop me from their lives," he said.

One of the people who believed in him was his defense lawyer, Robert Gottlieb. 

He explained one of the problems of the case at the get-go.

“Immediately, the reports to the police was that a male, Black with dreads was the shooter in this case. There was no ambiguity about it. Now, then, when all happened when Jon Adrian was arrested. One, he was not a male Black man, he is a Latino [man]," Gottlieb said.

Velazquez’s case was part of the Manhattan district attorney's Post Conviction Justice Unit started in 2022 to give an impartial look at older cases.

“I couldn't be more gratified and happy for Jon-Adrian, who was treated like an animal when he was innocent," Gottlieb, who was also a former Manhattan prosecutor, said.

Now, as a free man, Velazquez has the goal of helping others who face similar injustices that he faced.

“I get to carry the torch to fight for the people that are inside the people that deserve justice," Velazquez said.

The Post Conviction Justice Unit has dismissed more than 500 convictions to date.