Two New York Police Department officers were shot early Monday while pursuing a suspect who authorities said was an illegal immigrant from Venezuela during an investigation into a series of robberies involving a scooter-riding suspect.
The shooting happened just before 1:45 a.m. at the intersection of 89th Street and 23rd Avenue in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens.
Two officers from the 115th Precinct Public Safety Unit attempted to stop a male suspect who was riding a scooter the wrong way and began fleeing on foot. During the foot pursuit, the suspect fired shots at the two officers, who returned fire.
One officer was shot through his bulletproof vest in the abdomen area and the other was shot in the leg. Both officers were rushed to hospital in stable condition and are expected to recover.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams holds the bulletproof vest that saved the injured police officer’s life. (New York Police Department)
“New Yorkers don’t wear this every day,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at a news conference at Elmhurst Hospital, holding the wounded officer’s bulletproof vest and pointing to a bullet hole in the front.
“This is something we fight every day,” Adams said, calling the shooting a “senseless act of violence” and a “complete disregard for life.”
Police said the gun used in the shooting was recovered from the scene. (New York Police Department)
The suspect was also shot in the right ankle and taken to the hospital. Police said the gun he used in the shooting was illegally owned.
The suspect has been identified as Bernardo Raul Castro Matta, a 19-year-old from Venezuela who police say entered the country illegally through Eagle Pass, Texas. Police said he is currently living in a former Courtyard Marriott hotel in Queens that is now being used as a shelter for migrants.
Castro Matta has no prior arrests in New York City, but police say he is a suspect in multiple robberies in Queens.
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Police said the suspected robber was riding a scooter.
