NYPD Det. Dominick Libretti, Wounded In The Line Of Duty On Jan. 20 On Staten Island, Released From Hospital
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An NYPD detective who was shot in the leg while executing a drug-related search warrant on Staten Island was released from a hospital on Monday.
Det. Dominick Libretti underwent several surgeries and had been in Staten Island University Hospital for more than a week. Fellow officers lined a path and clapped as he was released alongside family members, CBS2's Alice Gainer reported.
The 10-year veteran of the force finally went home after being shot in the lower leg beneath an NYPD ballistic shield.
"There were other doctors that initially saw him and did a very good job. Once he was stable he came to our service. I'm a plastic surgeon and we did reconstructive surgery. He did very well and he's hopefully just gonna get better and better, so a lot of surgeries a lot of pain but he's a very strong individual," Dr. Michael Cooper said.
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On the morning of Jan. 20, Libretti was shot as he and other officers entered the second floor of a home on Rockne Street in the New Springville section of the borough to execute a search warrant related to narcotics.
Fellow officers needed to apply immediate pressure to stop blood loss. As they did so, the wounded detective held a ballistic shield in front of them to protect them from gunfire.
Police fired back at the alleged gunman, 39-year-old Nelson Pizzaro, striking him in the leg. He was taken to a local hospital.
Pizzaro has seven prior arrests in New York, a gun arrest in Massachusetts and a larceny arrest in Connecticut, police said.
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Officers also took a man into custody for allegedly selling drugs and two women inside the home.
After such an extremely difficult last couple of weeks for the NYPD, there were smiles Monday as they watched a fellow officer, who put his life on the line, go home to his friends and family.
Pizzaro has been charged with attempted murder of a police officer, assault and weapons possession. He's due back in court next week.
