Transcript: Mayor Eric Adams Briefs Media on Officer-Involved Shooting in the 48th Precinct

January 17, 2023

Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell: Good morning everyone. Thank you for being here. We are at St. Barnabas Hospital. A few hours ago, two officers, three and seven year veterans of the NYPD, were in uniform in an unmarked police car patrolling the streets of New York City, working to keep New Yorkers safe. At approximately 3:03 hours this morning, those two officers from the 48 Precinct public safety team were on Prospect Avenue in the vicinity of East 183rd Street in the Bronx. While attempting to engage two males on the corner, one officer was shot in the arm, narrowly missing his vital structures. The officer was brought here where he is now in stable condition.

I'd like to thank Dr. Jamison and the rest of the staff here at St. Barnabas Hospital for their excellent care and our own NYPD, Dr. Kleinman. A 16-year-old male has been taken into custody and a 32 caliber firearm has been recovered. We are searching for two additional involved males in this case. Let me be clear, we will stop at nothing to ensure that these subjects involved in this shooting and the people who drive violence in this city will be brought to justice. I'll now turn it over to the mayor of the City of New York, Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you, commissioner. Look at the scenario: 16-years-old, officer shot, another individual potentially in his arm. This officer was doing his job, part of the important team that has been assembled to remove guns off our streets. I spoke with Officer Lee and his family and he's proud to have done his job on the frontline to deal with the violence that we have witnessed, particularly in the borough of the Bronx. Thanks to the police work of Officer Lee and his colleagues, we've witnessed the reduction in shootings in this borough and we are going to continue to do so, but it clearly emphasizes too many young people have too many guns in their hands, and our job is to create a pathway to stop that and to ensure that we remove these guns off our streets. Thank God Officer Lee will be going home, but too many innocent people don't go home after encountering gun violence. Thank you, commissioner.

James Essig, Chief of Detectives, Police Department: Good morning. At approximately 3:03 a.m.one uniform member of the service was shot in the left upper arm. These are the details as we know them as of now. Two police officers assigned to the 48 public safety team in uniform and in an unmarked police vehicle observed two males at the southwest corner of 183rd Street and Prospect Avenue. As they pulled up, at least one male fires at least six times, striking the windshield and our officer, who was seated in the passenger seat. He was struck in the left arm. Six 32 caliber shell casings are recovered. Both officers exited the vehicle and both officers returned fire. Responding officers give chase and apprehend one perp after a brief foot pursuit. Prior to the pursuit and seconds after the initial confrontation between the perpetrator and police, a second shot fired occurs from 760 East 183rd Street towards 183rd Street and Prospect.

Two 380 shell casings have recovered at that scene. These shots, based on preliminary video, are not directed toward the pursuing officers. The perp taken into custody from the initial 183rd Street and Prospect shooting is a 16-year-old male. A 32 caliber weapon was recovered from his person. Preliminary trace reveals that it's not part of a multi-sale and it is not reported stolen at this time. At this time, we are actively seeking two persons, one male wearing all black, who was with the 16-year-old at 183rd Street and Prospect Avenue, and a second male who was attired in a black hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans who was firing his 380 caliber from 760 East 183rd Street. We tracked him, he fled in an auto, and those two males are now actively being pursued. I'd like to turn it over to Pat Lynch, the PBA president.

Patrick Lynch, President, Police Benevolent Association: Thank you, chief. What we had the opportunity to witness today is when chaos and these police officers were set upon, shot at, and struck, that calm came over these police officers. The police officer that was struck and shot still pursued the perpetrator. His partner pursued the perpetrator, recognizing his partner was shot, throws him in the car, drives, transmits descriptions, notifies the hospital. If he could have, when he got to the hospital, he probably would've done the operation as well. That's how calm and professional these police officers were during chaos. We should all be thankful for police officers like this that do it on a regular basis and we should always, in every way possible, recognize them for what they do. We don't only do it for ourselves, we do it for the people of the city as well.

Question: Can you talk a little bit more about that interaction between the police officer in the unmarked car? Were they looking for a suspects connected to a different incident or why did exactly —

Chief Essig: That area is where we want our police officers to be. It's a known gang location that has had problems in the past. As they're heading up Prospect Avenue they just observed two persons there. That's still under their investigation. As they pulled up, before they even have a chance to exit their car, shots are fired at their vehicle.

Question: Okay. Can you see (inaudible) of the gun and the officers that apprehended the 16-year-old were officers that were involved in the shooting?

Chief Essig: No, they were responding officers from the 48th precinct. Separate offices apprehended them.

Question: (Inaudible.)

Chief Essig: They were on 660 East, 183rd Street. It is approximately a hundred feet off Prospect where the initial shooting came. Male just enters, fires two shots down in the direction ... not at our police officers, in the direction of the initial shots fired.

Question: Possible (inaudible) confrontation?

Chief Essig: That's under investigation, but it's very likely at this time.

###