An off-duty New York City Police Department (NYPD) lieutenant was listed in critical condition after a shooting Thursday at a nightclub in Queens, the New York Post reported.
Armed suspects attempted to rob the man of his jewelry, according to officials.
The Post report continued:
The 44-year-old officer had just left La Boom nightclub in Woodside around 3 a.m. when the gun-toting crew targeted him, sparking a gunfight at Northern Boulevard and 57th Street, NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said at a press conference. At one point, one of the suspects was shot in the chest and stomach as the others fled. He was taken to Elmhurst Hospital and pronounced dead at 3:35 a.m., Shea said.
The officer, who was not identified to the public, was also transported to Elmhurst where he was reported to be in critical yet stable condition once he suffered several gunshot wounds, Shea added.
Officials detailed the shooting during a news conference Thursday:
Watch as @NYPDShea and NYPD executives provide details of the off-duty officer shot in Queens. https://t.co/BmUgm9YVlO
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 16, 2021
“We believe we have eight shots fired by our officer. We believe we have nine shots fired at this point in time — that could change — by the suspects,” Shea explained.
“We do not know — it would be too early to say if it’s all fired by one suspect, but ballistics and video will come together and we’ll get a clearer picture on that,” he continued, adding the lieutenant was lucky to survive the incident.
The officer was shot in the leg, chest, wrist, and grazed on his head, according to ABC 7.
One of the suspects’ gun was recovered from the scene:
Below is a picture of the gun with an extended magazine that was recovered near the suspect. pic.twitter.com/60GHhAoZKx
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 16, 2021
Shea said the investigation remained in the early stages but it was believed the suspects wearing ski masks were trying to take jewelry the officer wore.
The lieutenant was on duty Wednesday until just prior to midnight, then he went to the club, according to Shea. The man is a 15-year veteran officer working in Brooklyn, police sources told the Post.
Video footage showed emergency crews at the scene:
The 20-year-old suspect who died had a prior arrest for gang assault in the city from 2020, Shea and police sources noted.
He and three other people allegedly beat a man using plywood, the sources explained.
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