Off-duty NYPD officer suffers graze wound during Sunday morning shooting in Queens, sources say
An off-duty New York City police officer was shot in Queens early Sunday morning, police sources say.
The officer was taken to the hospital with a graze wound to the leg. He is expected to be okay.
Sources say investigators believe the shooting may have been part of a failed robbery attempt.
Here what police say happened
It's hard to miss the neon green BMW that was seen on surveillance video parked outside of Silvercup Studios in Long Island City. At around 6:30 a.m., a silver Nissan pulled up next to it. Someone then stepped out and started talking to the driver of the BMW. That's when police say a shot was fired, hitting the 25-year-old male BMW driver in the left leg.
The BMW was then seen backing up into the car behind it, before speeding off onto the sidewalk. It made its way a little more than a mile down to 21st and 31st Road.
The Nissan sped off in another direction, but police were able to catch up to it roughly 10 miles away in Flushing. Resident Daniel Villalda said he saw all the police activity near 33rd Avenue and Union Street.
"I wake up and I saw a lot of police. All the police parked down there on the corner," Villalda said.
According to sources, police spotted the vehicle and, after a brief pursuit, the two suspects got out of the car and tried to run, but officers caught up to them and made the arrests.
"We didn't know what was going on"
Witness Prince Singh, an attendant at Bridge Stop gas station on 21st Street, said he heard a single gunshot.
"Yeah, I was scared," Singh said.
Ryan Carter was working as a production assistant on a shoot at Silvercup Studios later Sunday morning.
"It was kind of crazy seeing the caution tape around this whole area and a ton of police cars. We didn't know what was going on," Carter said.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry released a statement, saying, in part, "This attack is yet another symptom of the message on our streets, which has emboldened criminals and put cops and all New Yorkers at risk. We need our justice system to step up and help us change that message."
