By Michael Morton
Reginald Gousse, 31, of 238-55 148th Dr. was arraigned on murder charges in First District Court in Hempstead, L.I. Friday, Nassau police said. He must next return to court March 9 and faces 25 years to life in prison if convicted. Homicide detectives from Nassau County and officers from the city's Police Impersonation Unit arrested Gousse Feb. 9 at Brookville Boulevard and 148th Drive in Rosedale after trying to pull over his 2001 Mercedes-Benz C1500 SUV, Nassau police said. Gousse tried to avoid arrest by slamming the vehicle into two police cars but was eventually taken into custody, Nassau police said.Gousse was accused of killing James Gottlieb of Garden City South, L.I., who worked at an HSBC bank branch, Nassau police said. Gottlieb was driving home from the bank Feb. 9 when he pulled over by a black SUV with flashing lights, Nassau police said. The driver of the SUV then got out and told Gottlieb he was under arrest. After Gottlieb demanded to see the SUV driver's ID and then walked away, the SUV driver shot him once in the arm and once in the leg, Nassau police said. Gottlieb died at the hospital, but not before describing his ordeal to detectives.Nassau police said Gousse has been linked to other officer impersonation robberies in Queens and Brooklyn. He was arrested in the borough in 1998 for committing armed robbery while impersonating an officer, convicted and sent to prison, Nassau police said. He was released last year. Last August officers pulled Gousse over for speeding in Texas and allegedly found a gun and police lights, sirens and uniforms, news reports said. However, a federal judge ruled that Gousse could not be prosecuted on a gun charge because officers had violated his rights during the stop, news reports said.Reach reporter Michael Morton by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
