An off-duty NYPD officer was shot and injured early this morning in a reported ambush in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens. The incident occurred around 6:30 a.m. near the intersections of 43rd Avenue and 21st Street and 31st Road and 21st Street, according to reports from ABC7NY and The New York Post.
The 25-year-old male officer, whose name has yet to be released, was reportedly taken to a nearby hospital and is expected to recover after suffering a graze wound to the left leg. Law enforcement sources told The New York Post that the suspects, two men donning black clothing and blue surgical masks, managed to initially escape in a grey Nissan sedan. A green BMW coupe with a bullet hole in the front windshield was also observed at the scene of the crime.
Officials were seen interviewing local residents and witnesses soon after the incident, in an effort to piece together the sequence of events that culminated in the shooting. A widespread search for the suspects followed, focusing on areas surrounding the site of the attack, as police worked to establish a motive, said ABC7NY.
The shooting did not occur within a "ShotSpotter" zone – a region where acoustic sensors detect and track sounds of gunfire. Despite this technological absence, officers were quick to respond to the scene of the crime. The NYPD has since taken two men into custody following the incident. Their identities have not been disclosed, and it remains unclear if they have been formally charged in connection with the shooting.
As of now, the investigation continues with a probe into whether the attacked officer was specifically targeted, and the implications of such an act on the safety of law enforcement personnel while off-duty.
