A shooting in Brooklyn on Saturday night left an off-duty New York Police Department officer critically injured and police continue to search for the suspect, authorities said.
During a news conference at Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center in Brooklyn shortly before 11 p.m., authorities said the injured officer was “fighting for his life” in critical condition after “what appears to be an attempted robbery during an attempt to purchase a vehicle.”
The shooting happened around 7 p.m. Saturday on Ruby Street, near Linden Boulevard, authorities said.
“It hurts a lot,” Mayor Eric Adams told the group of reporters, saying the officer is a five-year veteran of the NYPD who was off-duty at the time of the incident. “And he doesn’t dissipate over time.”
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Mayor Eric Adams addresses reporters after the shooting of an off-duty police officer on February 4, 2023.
“We will catch the person responsible for this fact,” added the mayor. “This dangerous person must be removed from our streets.”
The officer was not identified.
Adams opened his remarks by thanking those who continue to serve in uniform despite increased attacks on police officers. She also said that she is “too often” tasked with visiting officers at the hospital who are suffering from injuries after being attacked.
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The mayor explained that the shooting occurred when the officer was running “a simple errand” to buy a used vehicle when a “dangerous person pulled out a firearm” and attempted to rob the officer.
Then there was an “exchange of gunfire,” added NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell.
The officer previously coordinated the purchase and arrangement of the meeting through social media. The officer was with a relative, Sewell said.
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Adams said he met with the officer’s wife and children and was “lifting the family up in prayer.”
“My heart goes out to the family and to the department in general and specifically to the two members of their command to see a fellow officer experience this,” he said.
NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell addresses reporters after the shooting of an off-duty police officer on February 4, 2023.
(NYPD)
The mayor also linked the shooting to the prevalence of “illegal weapons” in New York.
“As we see throughout this city, far too many illegal weapons are in the hands of bad people, and [these individuals are] doing bad things,” Adams continued.
Patrick Lynch, president of the New York City Police Benevolent Association (PBA), the largest police union representing NYPD officers, also spoke during the press conference.
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He accused politicians of “living in a fantasy world” and said unionists were “asking for help” once again to put down attacks on police.
“Hear the cries of a wife, a son, a brother,” he said. “This is devastation. This is real.”
Patrick Lynch, president of the New York City Police Benevolent Association (PBA), addresses reporters after the shooting of an off-duty police officer.
(NYPD)
“They are human, they are police officers and they are families,” Lynch added.
Thanking those who keep the injured officer in their thoughts and prayers, he said, “We can’t keep going to hospital emergency rooms and asking for prayers. We need more.”
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If anyone has information about this crime, they recommend calling the NYPD or Crimestoppers tip hotline at 800-577-TIPS.
The NYPD, as well as their local, state, and federal partners, continue to investigate this incident.
