Police Officer Shot In Wrist On Staten Island; Suspect Killed
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Violence interrupted a peaceful morning in the Stapleton section of Staten Island Tuesday.
Police responding to a domestic violence call ultimately got involved in a shootout. A female officer was shot in the wrist.
The suspect, identified as Gregory Edwards, was fatally wounded after police say he resisted arrest and pulled a gun.
"When they came, they had grabbed him. When they grabbed him, they Tased him," said witness Dominisha Dale.
Police say Edwards, 39, was wanted for domestic abuse allegations.
His female accuser helped officers track him down outside a home on Prince Street off Vanderbilt Avenue.
WATCH: Mayor, Police Commissioner, PBA President Provide Update On Staten Island Shooting
"The suspect immediately became combative with the officers and violently resisted their efforts to place him under arrest. During the struggle, an NYPD Taser was deployed, hitting the suspect's back," Police Commissioner James O'Neill said. "The man pulled out a gun and the officers, showing no hesitation, grabbed his hands to direct the muzzle away from bystanders."
Police body camera footage captured an image of the suspect with a gun in his hand. Police say he fired twice, and an officer returned fire three times, striking him.
A 30-year-old female officer was injured in the crossfire. She was rushed to Richmond University Medical Center in stable condition for surgery.
Edwards' gun was recovered at the scene.
A neighbor, too afraid to show his face, says he was terrified.
"I heard gunshots. Like six... it woke up me and my mother," the neighbor told CBS2's Hazel Sanchez. "I heard a lady screaming and crying, like, bad and stuff."
Mayor Bill de Blasio and and Commissioner O'Neill visited the injured officer at the hospital before she went into surgery.
They praised all the officers for their bravery.
A 9 mm handgun was recovered on the scene, and police took another man into custody.
O'Neill said Edwards had a history of violent crimes, including domestic assault. He was previously convicted in a shooting on Staten Island and served five years in prison.
Responding officers performed CPR on the suspect, trying to revive him. Heavily armed units responded to the scene, where another young man was later seen being taken into custody.
"Clearly in this case, this was someone who had caused real harm and had left a woman very, very afraid for her life. The NYPD answered the call," de Blasio said. "These officers went to do what they knew to do to protect this woman and the whole community, and they did it in a way that should make us very proud."
"Our officer today acted heroically, bravely, professionally. It's extraordinary," de Blasio said. "What she did is an example to us all of how proud we should be of the NYPD."
"This once again shows that any job at any time can turn dangerous for a New York City police officer. But nonetheless, when that gun was raised in that perp's hands, our police officers didn't hesitate. They pushed right in knowing that they can be injured and shot, and she was," said Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch. "I want to thank all the support we had outside the hospital today from the community that responded here to say 'thanks for what you do for our community on a regular basis,' and more importantly 'how's our officer?'"
The 30-year-old officer joined the force in 2016. The mayor called her an example of the American dream who came from immigrant parents and grew up always wanting to be a police officer.
