NYPD Officer Wounded In Bronx Housing Project Shooting Released From Hospital
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- One of two NYPD officers who was shot by a suspect in a housing project stairwell in the Bronx was released from the hospital on Friday.
Authorities said 29-year-old Officer Patrick Espeut, who suffered a graze wound on his face, exited Lincoln Hospital surrounded by fellow officers.
As CBS2's Alice Gainer reported, he left in a wheelchair, but stood up and said he's feeling good, a wound was barely visible on his nose.
The other officer, 24-year-old Diara Cruz, remains hospitalized with a torso wound. She underwent surgery and is expected to be okay, but there was no word on when she would be released.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton met with Espeut ahead of his release.
Proud of Officers Cruz & Espeut, happy to see them both doing well before Officer Espeut goes home today to recover. pic.twitter.com/0J5W8GQL1o
— Bill Bratton (@CommissBratton) February 5, 2016
Police said 23-year-old Malik Chavis and two other men were in the building around 8 p.m. Thursday, to buy marijuana. According to one of the men Chavis announced that he was robbing the other two.
Police said Espeut, Cruz and a third officer were on a routine patrol at the Melrose Houses complex when they encountered the group. One of them took off.
Investigators said the officers asked the men for identification. Chavis told the officers he needed to get his ID and was walking with police to an apartment on the seventh floor when he turned, pulled a gun and opened fire, hitting Espeut and Cruz, police said. The third officer was not hurt.
Two officers returned three shots total. It's not clear how many times Chavis fired, police said.
"I just heard a few very loud shots and then I just came running on the block. The helicopters were there right away," a witness recalled.
Sources said Chavis stormed into a nearby apartment and said "I just shot a police lady. I ain't going back to jail," CBS2's Janelle Burrell reported.
According to sources, Chavis asked a woman inside the apartment to shoot him but when she refused, police said he went to a back room and fired once, killing himself.
Other people in the apartment were taken into custody and were being questioned at the 40th Precinct station, police said. The second person the officers had encountered in the stairwell was also in custody, police said. So far, no arrests have been made.
Law enforcement sources told CBS2 that the gun used to shoot at the officers was bought legally in Tennessee in 2010 by a man who lives in the Bronx.
The handgun and a shotgun were found inside the apartment, police said.
Many of the nearly 3,000 residents who live in the Melrose development were kept out of their apartments as investigators searched the building, looking for additional evidence.
Mayor Bill de Blasio praised their police work and the injured officers.
"Our brave officers were doing their jobs tonight in our public housing on patrol keeping residents safe,'' de Blasio said. "It's another example of what our officers confront every single day keeping us safe, not only in the streets of New York City, but also in the stairwells and the hallways of our public housing developments."
Police sources told CBS2 that officer Espeut is active in the New York Air National Guard and is part of the 105th Airlift Wing, which is the same unit that NYPD Det. Joseph Lemm, who was recently killed in action in Afghanistan, was part of.
Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch said the shooting was evidence of the dangers of patrolling public housing and should serve as a reminder that police officers need public support.
"We need your support to teach your young folks that pulling a gun on a police officer works for no one," Lynch said.
The mayor was told about the shooting after delivering his State of the City address. He said he met with the family of one of the officers at the hospital.
Police recovered an automatic handgun and a shotgun near Chavis' body. Police said Chavis had 15 prior arrests for robbery, weapons possession and drugs and that he had served jail time.
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