A New York City police officer and an innocent bystander were both shot after a suspect allegedly robbed multiple stores on Tuesday, according to city officials.
The suspect, Gary Worthy, 57, is on lifetime parole for firearms possession and has 17 priors that include murder, robbery, burglary and narcotics possession according to the NYPD.
His last arrest was six days ago for possession of felony narcotics and resisting arrest.
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During a news conference, officials said that they responded to a 911 call at 5:35 p.m. about an armed robbery in progress inside the Village Market grocery store.
Victims told the responding officers that Worthy entered the store and announced the robbery, then demanded money while threatening the workers and customers inside with a black revolver. It was reported that he fired one shot during the robbery and that he fled southbound.
Shortly after officers obtained a description of Worthy and broadcast it over the radio, responding officers were flagged down by a witness who told them that a man robbed a smoke shop at gunpoint and fired one shot.
The officers were able to match the description to the previous robbery.
The officers then ordered Worthy to stop near the corner of Jamaica Avenue and 160th Street at around 6:30 p.m., but he fled while drawing his firearm, injuring NYPD Officer Rich Wong, according to police.
Wong returned a shot immobilizing Worthy, who was later pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital, police said.
A 26-year-old woman was also shot in the crossfire, but she and Wong are both expected to make full recoveries.
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Mayor Eric Adams took to social media to express his disgust in the criminal justice system following the shooting.
“While we are grateful that they will recover, we are also angry that a repeat offender who previously pled guilty to manslaughter and had 7 arrests since 2021 was free to commit two robberies tonight and ultimately shoot two people,” Adams said.
Police Benefit Association President Patrick Hendry also slammed the criminal justice system during the news conference and said NYPD officers are tired of being assaulted.
“He didn’t know when he ran out of the 103 station house when he heard a robbery in progress, he didn’t know he was gonna confront a brazen, dangerous career criminal that didn’t think twice about killing a New York City police officer,” Hendry said.
“You can depend on New York City police officers to do our jobs. We will continue to take dangerous criminals off the streets. We have your back,” Hendry said while addressing New Yorkers.
“I can tell you who doesn’t have your back…our criminal justice system. It continues to let us down every single day. Seventeen arrests on lifetime parole, arrested 7 times while on lifetime parole. What does lifetime parole mean? I think we all would agree, you get arrested, you stay behind bars when you’re on lifetime parole, but it didn’t happen here. Our criminal justice system is broken from the top to the bottom. New York City police officers are sick and tired of being assaulted on the streets. We’re sick and tired of being shot at. It has to end. We need all New Yorkers to once and for all to demand change in our criminal justice system,” he continued.
The incident is still under investigation.
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