Two police officers were shot in Queens overnight in a chaotic scene in which a suspect was also injured, authorities said.
Officers investigating a theft involving mopeds and scooters in East Elmhurst attempted to stop a person riding the wrong way on a moped near 23rd Avenue and 82nd Street, police said. He fled on foot.
The two officers chased him for a few blocks, and NYPD officials say he shot them during the chase. A police officer was shot in his bulletproof vest; the other was shot in the leg.
They were both taken to Elmhurst Hospital and later released.
The suspect, identified as a 19-year-old resident of a migrant shelter in the area, was shot in the right ankle. This individual was taken into police custody and transported to a hospital for treatment in stable condition.
A firearm was recovered at the scene.
Investigators say the 19-year-old has never been arrested in New York, but is suspected in two violent robberies in Queens on May 21. In both cases, the moped suspects used force to rob the victims of various items, including purses and phones. , and debit cards, according to three senior law enforcement officials.
Police say they are currently investigating more than 80 thefts involving scooters and mopeds across the city, four times the number of similar cases they had this time last year. In 2023, there was no such model.
Mayor Eric Adams visited officers at the hospital Monday and later called the shooting “senseless.”
“It’s a bullet hole,” Adams said, holding up the torn vest at a news conference. “Thanks to this vest, a young police officer is going home. This senseless act of violence, a complete disregard for life, our officers responded with a level of discipline, a level of concentration and a level of professionalism.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said officers were in good spirits and the department was ready to help.
The investigation is ongoing.
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News Source : www.nbcnewyork.com
