A drama unfolded early Monday morning in Brooklyn when a 25-year-old officer of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) was wounded in the face during a confrontation with a homicide suspect armed with a shotgun.
The incident began with a call to the 73rd Precinct in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, where officers had responded to the murder of a 41-year-old man named Leroy Wallace, who was found shot in the chest just before 6 a.m. Monday. About an hour later, at roughly 7:45 a.m., the homicide suspect opened fire from a first-floor apartment via a shotgun, striking the officer in the face with bird-shot pellets.
Despite the injury, the officer — identified as Officer Sharjeel Waris — returned fire and wounded the suspect. The suspect then barricaded himself in the apartment at 1046 Thomas S. Boyland St. in Brownsville. When officers forced entry, they deployed a drone through a window and found the suspect motionless on a kitchen floor, with the shotgun lying nearby. He was later pronounced dead at the scene.
Officer Waris, a four-year veteran of the NYPD, was released from Brookdale Hospital later the same day. He was greeted by fellow officers as he left the hospital in a wheelchair and received applauds for his bravery. The Police Benevolent Association (PBA) praised his actions and urged political leaders to support law enforcement efforts.
In a related development, while responding to the officer’s shooting, two other NYPD officers from the 73rd Precinct were involved in a car crash and sustained minor injuries.
What to Watch:
- The NYPD investigation into the shootout and how the suspect obtained the shotgun used in the attack.
- The officer’s recovery and any changes in protective gear or protocols following such incidents.
- City and state responses regarding law-enforcement resources, particularly in high-risk patrol zones like Brownsville.
- Broader implications for police safety and community policing amid rising violent gun incidents.
Summary:
An early-morning call to respond to a homicide in Brooklyn turned into a life-threatening shootout when a suspect with a shotgun fired at NYPD officers. Officer Sharjeel Waris was struck in the face but returned fire and helped bring the confrontation to an end. The suspect barricaded himself and was later found dead. The incident underscores the dangers officers face in responding to violent crime and the urgency of support and resources for frontline policing.
