A young NYPD officer is fighting for his life after being shot in an attempted armed robbery on Saturday night, prompting a city-wide manhunt for the gunman, the Staten Island Advance reports.
The off-duty officer had reportedly arranged over social media to buy a vehicle and traveled to the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn for the transaction. Around 7 p.m., the officer and a relative arrived at the designated location at Ruby Street near Linden Boulevard.
“Almost immediately, the suspect displayed a gun and announced a robbery,” Assistant Police Chief Michael Baldassano said at a press conference.
The unidentified officer responded by displaying his weapon and both individuals shot at each other. The officer was then struck in the head during the gunfire, according to WABC-TV.
The 26-year-old officer is a husband and father who has worked for the NYPD for five years, WCBS-TV reports. He is being treated at Brookdale Hospital, where he is in critical condition.
Mayor Eric Adams vowed that authorities would find the gunman and bring him to justice.
“We will catch the person responsible for this act,” Adams told reporters, according to WABC-TV.
He added: “I spoke with the officer’s wife, saw his beautiful children. We’re all lifting his family up in prayer.”
Watch live as Police Commissioner Sewell & Mayor Adams provide an update on a police investigation in Brooklyn. https://t.co/CEIBPcvIP3
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) February 5, 2023
To report information about the shooting, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) in Spanish. Tips can also be submitted at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org.
Saturday’s shooting comes after a teenager shot an NYPD officer on January 17, wounding that officer in the arm, according to WNBC-TV.
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[Feature Photo: NYPD]
