A suspect who opened fire on officers attempting to arrest him in Harlem on Wednesday morning apparently took his own life during an ensuing, brief standoff with police, officials said.
The 23-year-old suspect, whose identity has been withheld pending the ongoing investigation. was slated to be arrested in connection with an open domestic violence felony charge, according to Chief of Department Rodney Harrison. The man had been also identified as a possible suspect in a separate murder case being investigated by the Manhattan North Homicide Squad.
But when members of the Manhattan North Warrant Squad arrived at the fifth-floor apartment at 200 West 147th St. at 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 6, Harrison said, the perpetrator came out firing.
“The person they were attempting to arrest suddenly produced a gun and opened fire toward our officers,” the chief told reporters at a midday press conference outside the location. “Fortunately, none of our officers was struck.”
It’s believed that the officers got as close as seven feet away from the apartment when the gunman opened fire, according to Harrison.
One cop managed to fire off a round at the perpetrator while retreating with his colleagues, Harrison said. The officers managed to reach safety while reinforcements were called in.
Members of the NYPD Hostage Negotiations Team connected with the suspect and engaged him in conversation, the chief reported. A woman inside the apartment at the time, believed to be in a relationship with the perpetrator, was not harmed.
But shortly after the communications began, Harrison noted, the suspect stopped responding. The NYPD Emergency Services Unit then performed a visual check of the apartment from outside the location, and spotted the suspect on the floor.
Upon entering the apartment, police found the gunman unconscious and unresponsive with an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The case has been presented to the NYPD Force Investigation Division for further examination. The unit looks at all cases in which police officers use their service weapons.
