Two NYPD officers responding to a robbery call were shot in the Bronx late Monday night, police and law enforcement sources say.
A law enforcement source said it appears one officer was shot in the back and the other shot in the arm and stomach near East 184th Street and Tiebout Avenue in the Fordham section shortly after 10:30 p.m.
Police say the officers were not targeted.
The unidentified officers were taken to St. Barnabas Hospital where they are in stable condition, and are expected to be OK, the NYPD said. Mayor Bill de Blasio arrived at the hospital after midnight Tuesday, but it was unclear if he was scheduled to address the media.
Preliminary investigation indicates the anti-crime officers, who were in plain clothes, were responding to a call about a commercial robbery, a police source said.
Investigators are looking for two possible suspects who may have fled in a car, crashed it and abandoned it a couple of blocks away from the scene before fleeing on foot, police sources said. The gun used in the shooting was recovered near the scene.
The shootings happened just hours after the mayor and the police commissioner held a joint news conference to tout record low crime levels, with overall crime down 4 percent from last year. But shootings were up 13 percent, which NYPD officials admitted were “an area of concern.”
City Speaker Melissa Mark-Vivitero released a statement Tuesday morning thanking the two officers for their service and wishing them a speedy recovery.
“Every day, New York’s police officers risk their lives keeping New Yorkers safe and we are very grateful for their service, dedication and commitment,” she said. Last month, NYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were shot and killed while sitting in a patrol car in Brooklyn, fueling tension between police and City Hall. Police unions have blamed Mayor de Blasio for permitting protests over police conduct that has, in turn, fostered an anti-NYPD atmosphere they believe contributed to the killings of the officers. The family of the gunman, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, have said he was emotionally disturbed and that the shootings had nothing to do with police retaliation. Read the full story at NBCNewYork.com. Jonathan Dienst contributed to this report.
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