2 NYPD sergeants shot in the Bronx; 1 dies
NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - Two police sergeants were shot -- one fatally -- in a shootout with a robbery suspect in the Bronx Friday afternoon, the NYPD said. The suspect was shot and killed.
The incident unfolded in Parkchester. Cops pursued a red SUV because the driver matched the description of a man who had forced his way into an apartment on Beach Avenue. After a short pursuit that appeared to end when a police vehicle and the SUV collided, that suspect, identified as Manuel Rosales, 35, fired a .45-caliber pistol at police, hitting Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo in the head and Sgt. Emmanuel Kwo in the leg, police said.
The cops were taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where Tuozzolo died, the NYPD said. Kwo is listed in stable condition.
Police Commissioner James O'Neill said Rosales was the estranged husband of a woman in the apartment on Beach Avenue.
"Earlier today, the suspect forcibly entered the apartment, armed with a gun," Police Commissioner James O'Neill said. "Present at that time was his 29-year-old estranged wife, their 3-year-old son, another 13-year-old child, and a 50-year-old woman who was the original 911 caller."
Dozens of police officers responded to the scene. Video from SkyFoxHD showed a police SUV and a red SUV that apparently collided in front of a storage facility. The area was roped off by crime scene tape.
"Every day, the brave men and women of law enforcement selflessly serve our communities to keep the rest of us safe. Today, a sergeant in the New York City Police Department has made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and another officer is undergoing treatment," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. "My deepest sympathies are with the families of the officers involved in today's tragedy in the Bronx, and with Commissioner O'Neill and the NYPD as they cope with the loss of one of their own."
Tuozzolo was a 19-year veteran of the department. Kwo has been with the NYPD for 9 years.
This story will be updated. The AP contributed to this report.