An off-duty NYPD officer is recovering after being shot during an attempted carjacking in Queens, while two men with a history of arrests now face serious charges. According to ABC7NY, the confrontation unfolded over the weekend, when the suspects, later identified as Denzel Brown and Marvin Dankwah, reportedly boxed in the officer's neon-green BMW with their gray Nissan on 43rd Avenue in Astoria.
In the chaos that followed, eyewitness surveillance footage indicates that shots were fired as the officer attempted to escape, driving onto the sidewalk to avoid being trapped. Suffering a gunshot wound to the leg, the officer, whose identity remains undisclosed by the NYPD, pushed his BMW for about a mile seeking safety before ultimately getting medical attention. The two suspects, according to the same report by ABC7NY, are in custody at the 109th precinct, facing numerous charges including attempted murder, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon.
Additional details from FOX 5 NY notes that the two men were arrested in Flushing following the attempted robbery earlier yesterday. This incident adds to their extensive criminal histories, which has drawn attention from public officials. In an interview with FOX 5 NY's Meredith Gorman, New York City Mayor Eric Adams addressed concerns about the legal system's effectiveness in preventing repeat offenses. "Albany must fix the recidivism problem that we're seeing in this city," Mayor Adams stated.
Both suspects, Denzel Brown, a level three sex offender, and Marvin Dankwah, are now facing charges of second-degree attempted murder, first-degree robbery, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, as they were seen being taken into custody.
The condition of the officer, transported to Mount Sinai Queens for treatment, appears stable and he is expected to recover.
