A 49-year-old man, a 63-year-old woman and a group of police officers were brought to local hospitals following an assault and a police-involved shooting on the Grand Concourse in the South Bronx, police said.
The news was confirmed during a press conference on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 5, held at Grand Concourse and East 153rd Street during which NYPD Chief John Chell, chief of patrol, joined NYPD Assistant Chief Philip Rivera, Bronx borough commander, and Inspector Andy Marino from force investigations, to provide further details of the incident.
Chell said that at around 2.20 p.m. on Sunday at 153rd Street and Concourse Village West, a 63-year-old woman was assaulted by an unknown man. “The female approaches uniformed officers at the Mott Haven Campus school to report what happened to her,” Chell said. “Five cops tried to catch up with the male, which they do. He refuses their order to stop. As they continue to follow him, he displays a firearm and points it at a passerby.”
MEMBERS OF THE NYPD respond to a police-involved shooting in the South Bronx on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. Video courtesy of the Citizens’ App
The chief of patrol continued, “Our officers give repeat instructions to drop the firearm. At this point, the officers come to the corner behind us at 153rd and Grand Concourse and the male, refusing to drop his gun.. Numerous orders are given to drop the weapon. He puts the weapon to his head and then rapidly turns on our officers. Our officers discharge their firearms, striking the individual.”
He said police then rendered aid to the gunman and took him into custody. He said the gunshot victim, the police officers, and the 63-year-old woman were all removed to local hospitals.
A photo of the gun recovered at the scene was then shown to attendees and then police appealed to the “numerous people” who they said were in the area on Sunday to come forward if they saw anything. The number to call is 1-800-5777.
In response to some questions, Chell said the gunman was shot numerous times about the body, the elderly woman had been struck by the gunman and her injuries were unknown. He also said that four officers fired their weapons at the gunman and the number of rounds was under investigation.
In response to further questions about the sequence of events, Chell added, “He rapidly turned with the gun in his right hand towards our officers.”
In a separate incident in Brooklyn in the vicinity of Ruby Street and Linden Boulevard on Saturday, Feb. 4, at around 7 p.m., an off-duty NYPD officer was shot in the head during an apparent robbery attempt and remains in critical condition. Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said on Saturday, “Earlier tonight, an off-duty NYPD police officer was shot and is in critical condition. Please keep this officer, and his family, in your prayers as he fights for his life.”
Meanwhile, the NYPD Muslim Officers Society announced that a Muslim officer of Pakistani descent had been shot on Feb. 4, and requested New Yorkers to pray for his recovery. “The doctors are working on him and InshAllah with your prayers he will make it with full recovery,” the group said. “Please make duas [prayer/invocation].”
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.
All calls are strictly confidential.