Update: Police Officer Shot In The Bronx

[UPDATE BELOW] An NYPD officer was shot inside a Bronx public housing project just before 12:30 p.m., according to police scanner reports. The wire dispatches indicate that an emotionally disturbed person shot an officer at 3073 Park Avenue in the Bronx and "barricaded [himself] with a gun inside the [apartment]." It's unclear if the officer was on duty at the time of the shooting, but responding officers put him in a patrol car and drove him to Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, according to the scanner.

WCBS also reports that the officer was taken to Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center. MyFoxNY notes that the incident occurred within the Morrisania Air Rights public housing complex in Melrose. According to the Daily News, the officer was shot in the stomach, and is in "serious condition."

Update (1:45 p.m.): WCBS now reports that the officer—who was on duty and wearing his bullet-resistant vest—was hit with three shots. According to 1010WINS, the vest might have stopped at least one bullet, but two rounds hit him in the stomach. Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly are reportedly heading to the hospital to speak with the cop's family. "Details are still coming in. We just don't know how serious it's going to be," the Mayor said. New police scanner reports indicate that the suspected gunman was pronounced dead inside the Bronx apartment.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Ben Muessig in News on March 22, 2010 1:27 PM

Comments [rss]

Rocko

I always said A GOOD COP IS A DEAD COP

jpeditor

you have it backwards. A dead rocko is a good rocko.

Guest

to clarify morally why public housing is a bad idea, it promotes dependency. instead of encouraging people to do better, this 'safety net' of a hell, housing project makes people feel 'comfortable' with something that's soul-fully equivalent of poison.

but it's like a drug--once people taste it, they have a hard time doing without it, and most will fight against everything to keep it, knowing little that they're losing the very quality that makes us achieving humans, and little do they know that they're living in the real-life "Matrix."

yytttt

As the late philosopher Biggie Smalls would have said..

Who shot ya?

JenChungsBaby

The Bronx is so mainland.

5borough

I hope the cop is ok. Public housing was about the worst idea ever, slums at mansion costs.

jaja007

Shot in the Bronx, eh?

Bet that REALLY hurts!

wingedearth

Can we offshore the projects? Maybe move them to a remote desert island?

ed_Extinct

Right, just what we should do, give the projects river front property/views, er I mean beach front. I think the projects would fare well underwater, like "The Abyss".

joemac

we already have that in rockaway.

GREGORYABUTLER

Hey, you guys gave us the free one way boat ride here - now you want us to leave?

Boogie Down

What in the hell are you talking about? I mean, normally you come across as being a relatively intelligent person, but I have no idea what you're getting at here. All I can glean from your nonsensical posts is that you think that only black people live in housing projects. Is that what you're trying to say? If so, please come visit the projects near my apartment where I'd say that blacks account for less than 25% of the residents in the developments. What most non-project residents have a problem with is the violence that pours out of these damned places, not the color of the skin (which can vary, believe it or not) of the perpetrators.

Boogie Down

By the way, plenty of residents of the projects have a HUGE problem with said violence too.

GREGORYABUTLER

I'm not saying there aren't awful problems in the projects - I know plenty of folks who grew up in them and quite a few who still live there.

But yeah, if it wasn't for widespread racial discrimination against Blacks and Latinos by private landlords, the projects would never have to have been built and wouldn't still be needed.

Boogie Down

I respectfully disagree. When many of these projects were first built, they were populated by Irish, Italian and Jewish New Yorkers. Over time the demographic has changed. I do agree that some landlords' racist policies have contributed to difficulties in acquiring better quality amongst blacks and Hispanics, but I do not believe that this is as widespread a phenomenon as you would like us to believe. My husband is Hispanic and not one person in his family lives in the projects. Clearly they were able to suss out better housing because they, like everyone else who hunts for an apartment or house in this city, exhibited the motivation to do so.

You need to be really careful throwing the racism accusation around. You ASSUMED you knew my opinions based on the fact that I stated (via sarcasm) that these projects are more trouble than they're worth because of the crime and desperation they breed. When you throw that term around relentlessly without merit it loses all credibility, kind of like the boy who cried wolf.

5borough

The people who brought you public housing will now be bringing you healthcare.

sj

Wow, the projects were built by private health insurance companies? Who knew?

GREGORYABUTLER

If it wasn't for slumlords, redlining, restrictive covenants and de facto residential segregation, we wouldn't need projects in the first place!

Boogie Down

The projects bring so much joy to our fine city.

GREGORYABUTLER

Damn, you racists are slipping!

It took you 25 minutes, and three whole posts, to come out of the woodwork!

Come on now!

I expect better of you!