During a foot chase in Queens on June 3, illegal migrants from Venezuela reportedly shot two New York Police officers. The shooting happened near the junction of 89th Street and 23rd Avenue in Queens’ Elmhurst district.
Before firing shots at police officers, the suspect have been put in US custody. This happened after being caught entering the US illegally in July 2023. Luckily, his case was closed by an immigration judge in Chicago after he mentioned that his destination was the Windy City.
More Details on the Case
The police officers who the Venezuelan migrant shot were working in the early hours of June 3. The officers were in the area trying to get more information on the robbery patterns that have been happening within the area. According to police reports, people in the area have been victims of at least one robbery attack or the other.
Following the report, one of the victims had their phone snatched from them while in the area, and the other was assaulted. As the police officers were going about their duty, they came in contact with a male who drove his scooter the wrong way. The officers tried to pull him over, but he ran away on foot.
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The officers swiftly followed him on a foot chase. As they went after the man, the male suspect opened fire on the two officers, who fired back. Sadly, as the foot chase went on, the suspect fired another shot, which hit the leg of one of the officers.
The other officer, who wore a bulletproof vest, got shot in the stomach area. Following the incident, the two officers were taken to hospital after getting shot. One of the officers who got shot has been in the New York police department for over five years. The other just joined the department about two years ago.
New York Mayor Speaks on the Incident
During a press conference at Elmhurst Hospital, the New York City Mayor Eric Adams commented on the incident. While holding the bulletproof vest of the officer who was shot, the mayor said, “Every day, New Yorkers are not wearing this.” While speaking on the shooting, he pointed at the hole created by the bullet on the vest.
Adams added that these recent incidents are what the city is fighting against daily. He also mentioned that the shooting was just a “senseless act of violence” and a “total disregard for life.” During the press conference, the president of the Police Benevolent Association in New York City, Patrick Hendry, expressed his dissatisfaction.
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Hendry said the injured officers sacrificed their lives to keep New Yorkers safe. He also stated that the police officer who got shot in his stomach area was more interested in saving his partner’s life. Rather than pay attention to his injury, he got a tourniquet.
“That’s what partners do in the NYPD; they save each other’s lives,” the president of the Police Benevolent Association said.
The Venezuelan Migrant Got Shot
According to the police, the gun the migrant owned was obtained illegally. Also, he got shot in his right ankle and was also hospitalized. The Venezuelan migrant was a 19-year-old male identified as Mata. According to the information shared with Fox News, Mata had a fixed court date after his release from Texas. However, he decided to leave for New York.
Furthermore, police reports suggest the Venezuelan migrant was living at a former Courtyard Marriott hotel in Queens. He was there before it became a shelter for other migrants like him. Mata has been involved in robbery patterns like stealing purses and wallets in and around New York. However, this is his first arrest in the city.
According to a source, the two police officers who ran after Mata didn’t just run after him because he drove his scooter the wrong way. They also ran after him because they recognized him and wanted to arrest him because he’d been involved in several robberies.
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