One New York City police officer was killed and another was critically injured after they were ambushed “suddenly” and “without warning” while responding to a domestic call Friday night.
What are the details?
Officers Jason Rivera, 22, and Wilbert Mora, 27, were dispatched to an apartment in Harlem after the resident called 911 and reported a domestic incident. The caller said she was fighting with her son, and she allegedly told dispatchers that no weapons were in the house.
When officers arrived on scene, the women told officers the fighting incident happened in a back bedroom. According to officials, once the officers approached the room, the occupant, 47-year-old Lashawn McNeil, opened the door and began firing on officers. Both officers were struck by the gunfire.
“He suddenly, without warning, opened fire on them,” NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell told media, the New York Post reported.
Rivera died from his injuries, while Mora was left in critical condition. Rivera was described as a rookie cop who joined the force in 2020. Mora, meanwhile, joined the force in 2018.
The officers became the third and fourth victims of gunfire against NYPD officers this week, according to the New York Times.
What happened to McNeil?
After gunning down the officers, McNeil attempted to leave the apartment, but was shot by a third officer. McNeil was shot in the arm and head, and he was taken to a local hospital where he underwent surgery for his injuries.
According to the New York Post, investigators recovered a Glock .45 pistol that allegedly had been reported stolen out of Baltimore.
What did officials say?
Sewell expressed anger over what happened.
“I am struggling to find the words to express what we are enduring, we’re mourning and we’re angry,” Sewell said, WABC-TV reported. “The pain their families are experiencing is not something anyone can put into words. The three officers who arrived at that scene were doing their jobs.”
Mayor Eric Adams (D), meanwhile, called the ambush-style attack an attack on the entire city.
“It is our city against the killers, this was just not an attack on three brave officers, this was an attack on the city of New York — it is an attack on the children and families of this city,” Adams said.
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