New York police officer shot in the Bronx, 16-year-old arrested
A police officer was shot in the arm in the Bronx early Tuesday, and a 16-year-old was arrested, officials said.
Police were seeking two additional suspects in connection with the shooting just after 3 a.m., New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said.
The shooting happened while the officer and his partner were on patrol in uniform in an unmarked car in the Belmont neighborhood. The officers spotted two males and pulled over to speak with them, Chief of Detectives James Essig said.
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“As they pull up at least one male fires at least six times, striking the windshield and our officer,” Essig said.
The wounded officer and his partner returned fire and gave chase on foot, Essig said. A 16-year-old male was arrested and a .32-caliber gun was recovered from him, the chief said.
Seconds after the initial shooting, Essig said, more shots were fired, not at the officers but toward the location from which the first shots had been fired. Police were seeking the person who was with the 16-year old and the person who fired the second volley of shots.
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Sewell said her department “will stop at nothing to make sure that these subjects involved in this shooting and the people who drive violence in this city will be brought to justice.”
Mayor Eric Adams, who joined police officials at a news conference at the hospital where the wounded officer was recovering, said he had spoken with the officer and his family.
“He is proud to have done his job on the front line to deal with the violence we have witnessed, particularly in the borough of the Bronx,” Adams said. The mayor, a former police officer, added, “Too many young people have too many guns in their hands. And our job is to create a pathway to stop that and to ensure that we remove these guns off our streets.”
Patrick Lynch, the head of the Police Benevolent Association, praised the officers’ professionalism under fire.
“The police officer that was struck and shot still pursued the perpetrator,” Lynch said. “His partner pursued the perpetrator, recognizing his partner was shot, throws him in the car. Drives, transmits descriptions, notifies the hospital. If he could have when he got to the hospital, he probably would have done the operation as well.”
