Rookie Cop Fires At Gun-Wielding Thief

Double-parked SUV in the background is adjacent to apartment on East 83rd Street where rookie cop was moving in when two thieves tried to take his luggage. An off-duty police officer who has been with the NYPD for less than a year fired four shots at two thieves, one of whom was armed with a handgun, who tried to steal some of his luggage as he was moving into his new apartment on East 83rd Street.

As the officer was moving boxes and other items into the apartment, located between Flatlands Avenue and Avenue J, he left a couple of pieces of luggage near his car, according to police sources, and, as two men walked by, one of them picked up the luggage.

The officer saw them take the items and was confronting the pair when one pulled out a black .45 caliber gun and pointed it at him. The officer stopped and the pair continued walking towards Flatlands Avenue.

The officer went into the apartment, retrieved his own gun and followed the two thieves, yelling at them that he was a police officer and telling them to stop. It was at this point that the thief with the gun whirled around and pointed it at the officer, who then fired four rounds in their direction. The shots missed as the pair dropped the luggage, got into a burgundy Nissan Maxima and fled east on Flatlands Avenue. sources said.

When the thief with the gun turned around to point it, the clip fell to the ground, police said. It was later retrieved.

Police are asking that anyone who might have seen the incident, which took place at about 1 p.m. on Friday, February 10th, please call the 69th Precinct Detective Squad at (718) 257-6215 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.