Off-duty NYPD officer kills armed man in apparent ambush, second suspect at large
2 separate shootings involving off-duty NYPD officers
An off-duty NYPD officer was caught in an apparent ambush Sunday night in Washington Heights after two men on mopeds approached him outside a residential building. FOX 5 NY's Robert Moses has the latest.
NEW YORK - An off-duty NYPD officer was ambushed in Washington Heights late Sunday night, sparking a deadly confrontation that left one man dead and another on the run.
Local perspective:
Police say the officer was standing outside a residential building near West 173rd Street and Amsterdam Avenue around 9:45 p.m. when two men approached him on separate mopeds.
"One male got off the moped and asked the officer if he knew an individual's name, and then proceeded to display a firearm," said NYPD Deputy Chief Eric Pagan. "Once seeing the firearm, the off-duty officer drew his firearm and discharged multiple rounds, striking the man."
The 30-year-old suspect was shot and later pronounced dead at Harlem Hospital. Investigators recovered a 9mm handgun at the scene.
The second man, described as wearing all black, fled on a moped heading south on Amsterdam Avenue. Police say the search for him is ongoing.
Local perspective:
The shooting comes just 48 hours after another deadly incident involving off-duty officers on Staten Island. In that case, police fatally shot a 44-year-old man holding what looked like a real gun, later determined to be an imitation firearm.
Authorities say Sunday night’s ambush underscores the dangers NYPD officers face even when they’re off the clock.
The investigation is ongoing as police continue to track down the second suspect.