Brooklyn, New York — (NYPD) – On Sunday night at 9:15 p.m., one sergeant and three police officers assigned to the 71st Precinct in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. A man called 911 from a closet in his apartment at 42 Hawthorne Street in Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn, saying his roommate had just shot him in both legs. As the officers ascended the stairs, the subject exited his apartment wearing a blanket over his shoulders. The officers then engaged him in conversation regarding the 911 calls for a male shot. At this time, the perpetrator pulled out a 38 caliber revolver from under the blanket and displayed it toward the officers. The officers drew their service weapons and stated multiple times for him to drop his firearm. The perpetrator ignored the multiple commands and fired his revolver three times towards the officers at approximately 10 feet away.
The police officer who was first in the single file line instinctively turned his body, bladed himself and was able to avoid a direct impact to his bullet resistant vest. The bullet grazed the front of his vest, which struck his body worn camera magnet. Another bullet grazed the shin of the fourth officer in the line, police said. Both officers were taken to a hospital for evaluation and were in stable condition. Police say the suspect then retreated back into his apartment. Investigators say none of those shots struck him. The suspect, identified as 44-year-old Ridwan Abdul Rashid, barricaded himself in the unit and took a hostage. After about an hour, hostage negotiators were able to bring him out, and take the him into custody.
