By Thomas Tracy
Source New York Daily News
A 50-year-old man shot by Brooklyn cops was involved in a violent clash inside a nearby bodega where a round was fired, then took aim at a responding sergeant before officers opened fire, NYPD officials said Saturday.
Police were patrolling Canarsie in two unmarked vehicles at about 9:45 p.m. Friday when they heard a gunshot from inside MMH Food at the corner of E. 80th St. and Flatlands Ave.
As cops approached, they saw the suspect exit the bodega and run off down the street.
Cops chased the man on foot, ordering him to stop, when he suddenly darted behind a tree and raised his gun at an approaching uniformed sergeant.
Four of the responding officers fired at the suspect, striking him in the stomach, NYPD Chief of Patrol Philip Rivera said at a press conference at the 69th Precinct station house early Saturday.
The suspect never fired a shot at police.
Officers rendered first aid to the man as EMS arrived. The suspect was taken to Brookdale University Medical Center, where he remained in critical but stable condition.
“Once again our officers confronted a dangerous individual armed with a firearm and reacted without hesitation,” Rivera said. “Due to their actions, further violence was prevented.”
Cops recovered his pistol at the scene, Rivera said. The gunman was not immediately identified and criminal charges were pending.
The four officers were treated at Kings County Hospital for trauma and ringing in the ears from the gunfire.
Police did not disclose what happened inside the bodega that led to the shot being fired. A second pistol, a ghost gun, was found inside the store, Rivera said.
Vinny Vallelong, the president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, which represents the supervisor the gunman nearly shot said Friday’s shooting “highlights the extremely dangerous nature of being a police sergeant.”
“Here you have a career criminal, who pointed a firearm at the police and by the grace of God, and quick-thinking of these officers, another tragedy was averted last night,” said Vallelong. “You can’t put a dollar sign on the job we do day in and day out. We are not some statistic on a budget sheet. We make split-second decisions that save lives every day.”
The police shooting happened around the corner from where a 57-year-old woman was shot by a stray bullet earlier Friday, cops said.
In that case, the innocent woman was outside a home on E. 81st St. near Flatlands Ave. at about 5:45 p.m. when someone fired off a round.
The bullet hit the woman in the right thigh, police said. She was taken to Brookdale Medical Center with a minor wound.
Cops do not believe the 50-year-old man shot by police was involved in the earlier incident, officials said.
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