Mount Vernon shooting leads to massive police search after gas station robbery
A massive search is underway in Mount Vernon after two suspects allegedly shot at police officers early Friday morning.
The Mount Vernon Police Department said it started around 5:45 a.m. when the suspects, considered armed and dangerous, robbed a 73-year-old Gulf gas station attendant at gunpoint on Mount Vernon Avenue.
Police confirmed the arrest of a suspect after sources told CBS News New York that one was in custody, but the other remained on the run.
Gas station attendant feared for his life
The attendant, Yusuf Topal, was not injured but said it was the scariest moment of his life. He said both suspects had guns and demanded money from him.
The gas station's surveillance camera captured the encounter.
"They pushed me, both guys, one gun is behind me, one gun is at my head. They push me to the front of the mechanic door over there. They said, give me the money, man, you want me to shoot you?" Topal said. "I tell them, I have three kids man, come on, how are you going to shoot me?"
"He doesn't listen. He goes to my back pocket, pulled out my wallet. They run," he added.
The suspects didn't get far. Mount Vernon police broadcast a description of them, and they were spotted by an NYPD unit in the vicinity on Pearl Street.
The NYPD officers chased them behind a home a few blocks away from the gas station. The NYPD said the suspects then shot at the officers, who returned fire. No one was struck.
"NYPD already had a unit that was doing some investigations in the area, and so they responded. The suspects who fled on foot fired shots at NYPD, NYPD fired back," Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said at the scene.
The shooting happened on the border of the Bronx and prompted six local and federal law enforcement agencies to respond.
"Woke up to some gunshots. I heard about seven or six. My family was pretty much just scared inside the house, but a bullet came flying through our kitchen window," Esua Joseph said.
"If you don't know who's knocking at your door, don't answer it"
The massive police response led to a deep dive into the weeds behind a home on Pearl Street, which remained closed late into the afternoon as residents were asked to avoid the area.
"I heard like a series of like four or five shots, and then all of the sudden I looked out my window and I saw the NYPD just rushing all over the place," Jeffrey Garrant said. "They were searching, they did a perimeter search on the building."
"With this level of police in the area, we're just asking people, if you don't know who's knocking at your door, don't answer it," Patterson-Howard said. "They're going to continue to look for the suspects, and so we have heavy police presence in the area and they will continue to search."
Chopper 2 flew over the search, where teams with dogs could be seen going into garages and deep into some overgrown backyards. Law enforcement recovered a gun and several spent shell casings, sources told CBS News New York.
Watch Chopper 2 over Mount Vernon investigation
Investigators believe the suspects may have escaped onto the nearby Metro-North tracks, sources said. Metro-North service through Mount Vernon West and Mount Vernon East was temporarily suspended out of an abundance of caution.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Mount Vernon Police Department's Detective Division at 914-665-2510. You can also submit an anonymous tip by texting "MVPD" and your tip to 847411 or by using the Mount Vernon PD app.