Published June 3rd, 2024
Two officers with the New York City, New York, Police Department (NYPD) were shot early Monday morning. At approximately 1:40 a.m. Monday, two NYPD officers were on a special detail in the East Elmhurst neighborhood in Queens, in response to a series of robberies and assaults perpetrated by individuals riding on scooters or mopeds. The officers observed an individual operating an unregistered moped, travelling the wrong way on a one-way street. When the officers attempted to stop the operator of the moped, he jumped off the moped and fled on foot, resulting in a foot pursuit that lasted several blocks. During this foot pursuit, the fleeing individual fired multiple shots at the officers, striking one in the leg and the other in the chest. The officers returned fire, striking the fleeing individual in the leg, and they apprehended him.
Both officers and the arrested individual were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. The officer shot in the chest only received minor injuries, as he was struck in the bullet-resistant vest he was wearing. At a press conference Monday afternoon, New York City Mayor Eric Adams displayed the vest the officer was wearing and stated, “Because of this vest, a young police officer is going home." Adams, a former NYPD police captain, described the shooting as a "senseless act of violence, a total disregard for life." According to Patrick Hendry, president of the New York City Police Benevolent Association, the officer who was shot in the chest “likely saved [the other officer’s] life” by putting a tourniquet on his injured leg. "That's what partners do in the NYPD," Hendry said. "They save each other's lives and that's what happened here today." Both officers were treated and released the same day. The suspect was undergoing surgery on his injured leg. The investigation is ongoing.
