Federal Officers Nab Suspect, Recover Weapon in Shooting of Rookie NYPD Officer (Photo : NYPD)
Federal officers arrested the man accused of shooting a rookie New York Police Department (NYPD) officer after a dispute over a bus seat, according to sources. The US Marshals Fugitive Task Force apprehended the alleged shooter at a Bronx residence in the Wakefield neighborhood around 8 p.m. on Thursday.
A firearm was recovered during the arrest, but law enforcement sources have not confirmed whether it was the same weapon used to shoot Officer Brett Boller in Queens on Wednesday. The man's identity is being withheld by The Post pending formal charges, and he reportedly has no arrest history.
The Detectives' Endowment Association tweeted on Thursday, "Detectives said they wouldn't give up until they apprehended the person who shot our brave brother in blue and risked the lives of fellow New Yorkers." They added, "There's no hiding from the Regional Fugitive Task Force - anywhere."
The suspect allegedly shot Boller, 22, after brandishing his gun at another passenger during a fight over a seat on an MTA bus. The shooter attempted to evade arrest by pushing past two officers when the bus driver flagged them down. Boller, the son of an NYPD inspector with only three months on the job, pursued the shooter down the street.
Disturbing video footage shows the shooter grappling with Boller on a Queens street before firing a shot that struck the officer in the right hip. The gunman retreated while pointing the weapon at the wounded officer on the ground. Boller's partner, who also had less than a year of experience, fired two return shots.
The shooter's discarded jacket, mask, and sweatshirt were later discovered at a nearby parking garage. Officers quickly attended to the injured rookie, applying a tourniquet to his right leg and rushing him to an NYPD van. Following successful surgery, Boller was recovering at Jamaica Hospital on Thursday.
Police had offered a combined $20,000 reward for information about the shooter, who was considered armed and dangerous. Mayor Eric Adams attributed the incident to the prevalence of firearms on city streets, emphasizing the need to identify and remove extreme recidivists from the streets and continue efforts to remove guns.
