Two New York City police officers are recovering from their injuries after being shot Monday morning while pursuing a suspect riding a moped, described by authorities as an undocumented migrant from Venezuela.
The shooting happened in the borough of Queens, where the injured officers were working early Monday to combat recent thefts in the area. The victims had their cell phones taken from them and at least one victim of the robbery was attacked by suspects riding mopeds and scooters, according to police.
One of the injured officers, Richard Yarusso, 26, who joined the New York Police Department almost three years ago, was saved by his bulletproof vest, which prevented a bullet from hitting him in the torso, officials said.
Investigators are searching for evidence after an NYPD officer was shot and killed during a shootout with a robbery suspect on June 3, 2024, in the Queens borough of New York.
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At a news conference Monday, New York City Mayor Eric Adams held up the police officer’s bulletproof vest and showed a bullet hole, saying, “With this vest, a young police officer comes home his home”.
Adams, a former New York police captain, described the shooting as a “senseless act of violence, a complete disregard for life.”
A firearm recovered at the scene after an NYPD officer was shot during a shootout with a robbery suspect June 3, 2024, in the Queens borough of New York.
NYPD
The other injured officer, Christopher Abreu, also 26 and a five-year veteran of the NYPD, was shot in the leg, according to NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban, who called the shooting reminder of how NYPD officers “put themselves in harm’s way.” to guarantee the safety of our city. »
“Every day they move toward danger and we saw it again early this morning,” Caban said.
Officers Yarusso and Abreu are assigned to the 115 Precinct Public Safety Team and were working in East Elmhurst, Queens, when at 1:40 a.m. ET they saw the suspect, identified by police as Bernardo Raul Castro Mato, driving an unregistered moped in the wrong direction. on a one-way street and tried to stop him, Caban said.
“The suspect then fled on foot and our officers initiated a foot pursuit, which lasted several blocks,” Caban said. “During the pursuit, the suspect fired several shots at our officers, who then returned fire.”
The suspect, police said, was shot in the right leg and taken to Queens Presbyterian Hospital in New York, where he was undergoing surgery Monday morning. An illegal firearm was found at the scene, police said.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams points out a bullet hole in the body armor an NYPD officer was wearing when he was shot and killed in a June 3, 2024, shooting with a theft suspect.
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Yarusso and Abreu were treated at Elmhurst Hospital and released from the hospital to applause from their fellow officers.
Patrick Hendry, president of the New York City Police Benovelent Association, said the actions of Yarusso and Abreu were “heroic.”
Hendry said Yarusso likely saved Abreu’s life by putting a tourniquet on his injured leg.
“That’s what NYPD partners do,” Hendry said. “They save each other’s lives and that’s what happened here today.”
NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said Castro was suspected in several robberies, each involving hundreds of incidents.
“Many of these crimes were all committed by perpetrators riding scooters or motorcycles,” Kenny said.
Kenny said the number of citywide robberies involving attackers on mopeds and scooters stood at 80 so far this year.
Investigators are searching for evidence after an NYPD officer was shot and killed during a shootout with a robbery suspect on June 3, 2024, in the Queens borough of New York.
WABC
Kenny said the suspect lived in a former Courtyard Marriot hotel in Queens that had been converted into a migrant shelter.
The suspect is from Venezuela and entered the United States in July 2023 by illegally crossing the country from Mexico at Eagle Pass, Texas, according to Kenny.
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