Two plain clothes New York City police officers were shot at a Brooklyn subway station on Thursday night, after they attempted to issue a summons, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.
The officers, who were assigned to Transit District 34, were patrolling a Manhattan-bound N train when they spotted a man attempting to cross between two subway cars while the train was in motion, Kelly said. Cops said the man sat down in the front of the third car as the train approached the Fort Hamilton Parkway station at 62 St. in Bay Ridge.
When the train pulled into the station, Officers Michael Levay and Lukasz Kozicki approached the man and asked him for identification, Kelly said. “The male stood up as if to comply with the officers and appeared to reach for his wallet,” Kelly said. The suspect, however, removed a 9mm handgun from his waistband and fired multiple shots at the officers.
Kozicki was hit in each of his upper thighs and once to the groin, Kelly said. A bullet also struck Levay, who was hit in the back of his bullet-restraint vest. The officers were able to return fire and ultimately killed the gunman at the scene, police said.
The officers were rushed to Lutheran Medical Center in Sunset Park, where they were listed in stable condition and are expected to make a full recovery, Kelly said.
At least one passenger aboard the train was injured by the gunfire. He also remains in stable condition.
Police did not identify the gunman, but at a press conference held Thursday night, Kelly said the gunman had a long history with police, including five prior arrests in New York City and other arrests out of state.
New York City Council candidate John Scandalios of Flushing, Queens was among the many straphangers aboard the train when the gunfire erupted. He turned to his Facebook page to let friends, family and constituents know he was safe. “When the subway stopped at Fort Hamilton, we heard what sounded like gunfire but we were unsure until people came running for their lives into our car,” Scandalios wrote. He described the scene as passengers threw themselves to the floor around him and said “at that point we knew it was indeed gunfire.”
Scandalios was two cars away from the shooting he said, adding he was “happy to be alive.” The political candidate said he remained at the scene after the shootout and was shuttled by police bus to the 72 Pct. for questioning, along with 17 other witnesses. After being questioned for nearly four hours, NYPD officers drove Scandalios back to his home in Flushing, Queens. “God bless the men and women of NYPD that risk their lives every day protecting the people,” he said.
Comments