A Bronx bodega worker was shot and injured during an altercation at his store on Wednesday, prompting anger from a local bodega association that wants police to bring back an unconstitutional tactic to keep the city safe.
Police said the shooting happened at about 11:45 a.m. on June 19 inside Moe’s Gourmet Deli located at 2306 Webster Ave. in Fordham.
Law enforcement sources said two men engaged the worker, 33-year-old Joseph Lewis in an argument over the price of ice. The argument then escalated and spilled out onto the street, cops said, when one of the suspects produced a gun and opened fire, shooting Lewis in the abdomen.
The suspects left their victim bleeding in the street as they fled in a white car. Onlookers rushed Lewis to Saint Barnabas Hospital, where he is expected to survive.
The incident was reported to the 48th Precinct, which tallied 15 shootings year-to-date through June 16, according to the most recent CompStat report. That’s an increase of four from the 11 reported at the same point in 2023.
Wednesday’s shooting led to a rally outside the deli, during which Fernando Mateo, president of the United Bodegas of America, demanded that police reemploy stop-and-frisk, a practice that allowed the NYPD to temporarily detain and search the public for weapons and other contraband.
“We are about public safety, we are about how do we get home safely at the end of our tour,” Mateo said.
Stop-and-frisk, however, was declared unconstitutional in a 2013 federal court ruling because it led to racial profiling; research data showed that Black and Brown New Yorkers were disproportionately stopped by police in higher numbers than other New Yorkers.
The city cannot override the constitution; however, civil rights groups argue that the NYPD has tacitly increased the number of civilian stops it has made in recent years.
As for the bodega shooting, no arrests have been made in the ongoing investigation. Later on Wednesday, the NYPD released images of both perpetrators.
Anyone with information regarding the shooting can call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). You can also submit tips online at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
