A 24-year-old man armed with two handguns was shot dead in a gunfight on a Queens street after he led cops on a chase before being hit with a fusillade of police bullets Thursday afternoon, police officials said.
The incident started at about 12:33 p.m. on Oct. 8 at the corner of 182nd Street and 144th Avenue in Springfield Gardens, when police from the NYPD Warrant Squad went to the home of the man, wanted in a September 20th shooting of four people.
Chief of Department Terence Monahan said Warrant Squad cops were watching a house at 140-16 182nd Place for the suspect, when the man matching the description, entered a white Nissan SUV driving north on 144th Avenue. As cops tried to stop the car, a chase ensued with the suspect colliding with a Chevy SUV at the corner of 184th Street and 144th Avenue in an attempt to reach the Belt Parkway.
Monahan said the suspect ran from the scene with cops in hot pursuit, with other cops closing in from all sides. At 181st Place and 114th Avenue, two precinct cops and detectives from the 113th Precinct converged on the suspect, who then pulled two handguns.
“The officers can be heard on body worn camera video telling the suspect numerous times to drop the weapons,” Monahan said. “The suspect then fired four times at police and the officers returned fire numerous times, striking the suspect.”
The gunman was rushed by EMS to Jamaica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Seven police officers were also taken to hospitals to be treated for tinnitus.
David Tibilin was driving towards 182nd place when he saw the officer open fire from his F150 pickup truck that he was using coming from a nearby worksite.
“Cops were coming from this way and that – all directions, and I saw two guys start shooting,” Tibilin said. “I was just there in my truck and then I hear boom, boom, boom and the guy was shot by the black car – he was hit in the chest. I was very surprised, I never seen anything like that since I came to America.”
At least 30 spent bullet casings were found at the intersection following the shootout. Numerous NYPD units are on scene, along with Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz escorted by Chief of Detectives Rodney Harrison.
The dead man, who has not been identified as yet, allegedly shot four people in front of a house on Merrick Boulevard near Foch Boulevard, across the street from Roy Wilkins Park in South Jamaica, at about 4:55 a.m. on Sept. 20. All of the victims survived.
Officers say that the suspect had allegedly posted on Instagram after the September shooting, saying “I’ve been to jail, I ain’t going back.” A post was made to the same profile prior to Thursday’s shooting showing a man holding two guns, however it is unclear who was actually in the photo.
With reporting by Emily Davenport and Todd Maisel.
