New York, NY — A police officer was shot and another grazed in a shooting that occurred while responding to a robbery on the Lower East Side Thursday afternoon.
The incident unfolded around 4 p.m. at Delancey and Eldridge Streets. Officers were called to the scene of a robbery involving a firearm at an e-bike store located at 91 Canal Street.
Two sergeants, one from the 5th Precinct and one from the 7th Precinct, began pursuing the suspect on foot as he ran north on Eldridge Street through the Lower East Side. After apprehending the suspect and pinning him to the ground, the individual managed to pull out a gun and fire a shot.
The gunfire hit the sergeant from the 5th Precinct in the thigh and grazed the leg of the other sergeant. Both officers were taken to Bellevue Hospital; one arrived in a police cruiser. Their injuries are reported to be non-life-threatening.
The officers did not return fire during the encounter.
The suspect, a 22-year-old with a history of drug offenses and gang ties, is in custody. Most of his prior arrests are sealed. Police are also looking for at least one additional suspect involved in the original robbery.