Nassau County Cop Fatally Shot In Massapequa Park
Updated: Sunday, March 13 10 a.m. EST
MASSAPEQUA PARK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A Nassau County police officer was shot and killed in Massapequa Park Saturday night.
Nassau County Police Officer Maureen Roach says the officer, who suffered a gunshot wound during an apparent pursuit, died at Nassau University Medical Center on Saturday night.
LISTEN: WCBS 880's Mike Xirinachs reports on the shooting
Podcast
Police responded to a call of an apparently deranged man menacing people on the street with a weapon. When officers arrived on the scene shortly after 8 p.m., it triggered a fatal series of events, reports CBS 2's Pablo Guzman.
"What happened pretty much still remains a little bit unclear, but what we've determined so far is that at one point, this individual exits that back bedroom, he begins to run at the police officers, he challenges them, he lunges at them with his arms up in the air, the officers are forced to defend themselves, and shoot in his direction," Nassau County Police Lt. Kevin Smith said. "He succumbs to those gunshots."
Resident Theresa Kelly called the police and followed the suspect down the block after he unexpectedly jumped on her car.
"This person came in front of my car, with a mask, he was dressed in all black, very gothic-looking, and he was banging on my windshield," Kelly said. "He had a very big knife in his hand."
An MTA officer from the nearby train station joined in, and the grim discovery was made shortly thereafter.
"In the aftermath we discovered that one of our officers is also seriously injured," Lt. Smith said.
Nassau County police confirm that the first officer is dead. The investigation continued because he may have been shot by friendly fire – by the weapon of another police officer.
It is the second line-of-duty death of a Nassau County officer so far this year.
Highway patrolman Michael Califano was killed Feb. 5 when a truck slammed into his police cruiser in Old Westbury, N.Y.
