Cops in New York City say a man walked into a Bronx precinct, and opened fire at officers.
“This is a premeditated assassination attempt,” Commissioner Dermot F. Shea said in a press conference Sunday morning.
The suspect was not struck. He surrendered, but only after running out of bullets, Shea said. Now police are looking to confirm if his gun was the same firearm used in a nearby Saturday shooting in which an officer was shot in the neck and chin, the commissioner said. He said, however, that investigators were “confident” this was the same person. The firearm was described as a 9mm Sig Sauer.
Officials did not release the suspect’s name. They described him as a man who’d been convicted in 2002 of attempted murder. In that case, he shot a person, carjacked a woman, crashed that vehicle, and got into a gun battle with police, Shea said. He was released on parole in 2017. The suspect was arrested another time, and had an upcoming court hearing in that matter, Shea said.
According to cops, the suspect walked into the 41st precinct headquarters shortly before 8 a.m. He pulled out a gun, and fired shots at a desk area where officers were present, Shea said. The man allegedly walked to the area beside the desk, and fired rounds at point blank range at uniformed members and a civilian.
A male lieutenant, who was on the force for about 15 years, had been hit in the upper arm. He returned fire, but did not strike the suspect, Shea said. The gunman surrendered after running out of bullets, the commissioner said.
“It is only by the grace of God and the heroic actions of those inside the building that took him into custody that we are not talking about police officers murdered inside a New York police precinct,” Shea said.
He emphasized that this is preliminary information. Reporters asked about a woman linked to the incident. Shea said she was in the general area, and that the investigation was ongoing. He said he would not describe her as a suspect.
Shea and NYPD Chief Surgeon Eli J. Kleinman said that both officers are expected to make a full recovery.
Officers released pictures of the suspect of the first incident before the second shooting happened.
[Screengraby via NYPD and CBS New York]