Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced on Monday, Jan. 24, that a Bronx man has been charged with attempted murder in the first degree and with additional charges for opening fire at two NYPD officers last November.

 

In the context of the announcement, Clark said, “Two uniformed NYPD police officers approached the defendant after responding to a 911 call about a man with a gun. The defendant allegedly pulled out a pistol and fired multiple shots at the officers, and one of them returned fire, wounding the defendant.” She added, “During the incident, one officer was wounded in the arm and the other was wounded in the chest. Thankfully, the injuries the officers sustained were not life-threatening and they are expected to fully recover.”

 

Clark went on to say that Charlie Vasquez, 23, of Featherbed Lane was arraigned, on Monday, on two counts of attempted murder in the first degree, two counts of attempted murder in the second degree, two counts of attempted aggravated assault upon a police officer, two counts of attempted assault in the first degree, two counts of second-degree assault, first-degree criminal use of a firearm, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, and second-degree obstructing governmental administration before Bronx Supreme Court Justice Albert Lorenzo. Vasquez remains in custody and is due back in court on April 22.

 

According to the investigation, on Nov. 24, 2021, at approximately 8:06 p.m., uniformed NYPD police officers, Robert Holmes and Alejandra Jacobs, of the 48^th precinct, responded to a 911 call regarding a man with a gun at 2405 Beaumont Avenue in Belmont. When they got to the location, they approached Vasquez, who was sitting on the stoop. The defendant allegedly took out a pistol and fired six shots at the cops, wounding Jacobs in the arm. Holmes struggled with the defendant in attempts to restrain him, and Jacobs shot at the defendant.

 

Two other police officers responding to the scene rushed to the wounded cops’ aid and assisted in restraining Vasquez. During the exchange of gunfire, Holmes was shot once in the chest. The officers were taken to a local hospital where they were treated and released. The defendant was shot several times and is expected to make a full recovery.

 

The case is being prosecuted by Omer Wiczyk, chief of the public integrity bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Allison Green, supervisor in the public integrity bureau, under the supervision of Denise Kodjo, deputy chief of the investigations division, and Wanda Perez-Maldonado, chief of the investigations division. Clark thanked trial preparation assistant, Lakora Sarkodie, of the public integrity bureau for her assistance in the investigation, as well as Captain Eileen Downing, Lieutenant Anthony Corrado, Sergeant Bruno Pomponio, Detective Nathaniel Jeffers and Detective Jonathan Bradlin, all of the force investigations division; and Detective Matthew Janisch of the NYPD crime scene unit, for their assistance.

 

A person charged with a crime is innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law.

 

Meanwhile, on Monday, Mayor Eric Adams announced his “Blueprint to End Gun Violence” in New York City, following a spate of high-profile police shootings in the Bronx and in Harlem, and other violent incidents across the Bronx and elsewhere, including the shooting of an 11-month-old baby girl in Bedford Park on Wednesday, Jan. 19, as reported.

 

“Gun violence is a public health crisis that continues to threaten every corner of our city,” he said. “We pray for all the victims of violence and their families who are suffering, but we are going to do more than pray — we’re going to turn our pain into purpose. Public safety is my administration’s highest priority, which is why we will remove guns from our streets, protect our communities, and create a safe, prosperous and just city for all New Yorkers.”

 

Adams’ roadmap calls for both intervention and prevention to end the gun violence epidemic affecting New York, and calls on the federal government and New York State to partner with his administration and other city entities to take immediate action to reduce gun violence.

 

Over the longer term, the mayor said he also plans to transform New York City and address the root causes that lead to gun violence by growing economic opportunities, improving the education of city children, providing greater access to mental health support, and more.

 

Meanwhile, as reported, Bronx Defenders and other public defenders across the City issued a lengthy statement on Monday in response to the mayor’s new blue print, in which they warned of a return to austere, and what they described as, “racist” policing policies of past decades.

 

“We fully support an expansion of the Summer Youth Employment program, the Fair Futures Initiative and employment opportunities for young people. These efforts will go a long way towards stabilizing communities in need of investment and resources,” they said.

 

“However, we do not support the mayor’s focus on discredited, punitive and surveillance-based strategies, including his call for additional rollbacks to bail and discovery reform, amendments to Raise the Age, increased use of facial recognition and the reinstatement of the NYPD’s historically racist Anti-Crime Unit,” they added.