Two plainclothes NYPD cops shot and killed a man following a dispute in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx Friday night, according to preliminary details released by the NYPD.
Officials say the shooting occurred when two plainclothes narcotic detectives who were in the area for an unrelated investigation overheard a dispute near Seneca Avenue and Hunts Point Avenue just after 7 p.m. within the 41st Precinct.
A detective at the scene saw one of the men involved in the altercation retrieve a gun from a black Ford pickup truck nearby, Patrol Borough Bronx Assistant Chief Philip Rivera said at a news conference late Friday night. As he approached the sidewalk, Rivera said the detectives at the scene announced themselves as police and ordered him not to move. The suspect then fired one shot, which missed the officers, according to the NYPD.
Both cops then returned 10 shots at the suspect, striking him five times in the torso. The suspect was then taken to Lincoln Hospital where he was pronounced dead, authorities said.
The officers were taken to an area hospital for a medical evaluation.
Police later recovered a Byrna HD airsoft pistol–described by the manufacturer as a non-lethal weapon–at the scene.
NYPD statistics show major crimes are up 44% within the 41st Precinct compared to the same time a year ago, though the murder rate is down 66% compared to the same time a year ago. There’ve been six shootings within the precinct so far this year, the same number as last year, according to police data.
The shooting comes days after two uniformed officers in the Bronx fatally shot 25-year-old Rameek Smith in the Claremont section of the Bronx Tuesday night following a foot chase.
