An 18-year-old Manhattan man has been indicted on attempted murder and other charges for allegedly shooting at an NYPD sergeant and two officers during a graffiti stop last month, the Bronx district attorney's office said Tuesday.
Messiah Nantwi is also charged with criminal use of a firearm, criminal possession of a weapon and a firearm, menacing a police officer, obstruction, resisting arrest and possession of graffiti instruments in the Feb. 21 case.
According to the investigation, uniformed NYPD officers tried to stop Nantwi and another individual when they saw them with spray paint cans around 12:30 a.m. that day. The unnamed individual ran off, while Nantwi was apprehended.
During the arrest, Nantwi allegedly took out a .22-caliber pistol and fired three shots at the sergeant and two officers, who in turn fired 31 shots back at him, prosecutors say. Nantwi was hit multiple times. No officers were injured.
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Nantwi remains hospitalized for his injuries. Bail was set at $500,000 following his arraignment earlier this week. He is due back in court in mid-April. Attorney information for Nantwi wasn't immediately available.
“The defendant allegedly resisted arrest and fired at an NYPD sergeant and two NYPD officers. The cops were not injured but the 18-year-old defendant was
shot when they returned fire. Fortunately, no one died that day," Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark said in a statement. "It is a stark reminder of how important it is to get guns off the streets because even a seemingly unremarkable encounter can lead to gunfire."
