A dispute turned deadly early Sunday morning in the Bronx after a 24-year-old man was killed in a shootout with two off-duty NYPD officers.
The two officers had just ended a shift and were walking to their car near the 46th Precinct when they heard the sound of gunfire around 4:15 a.m., according to Chief of Patrol Junita Holmes.
Holmes said the 24-year-old and his 45-year-old father were with a group outside a grocery store around the corner on Valentine Avenue when a dispute broke out. The fight turned physical and the younger man responded by brandishing a gun and firing several times, she said.
The off-duty officers ran to the scene and that's when they "engaged" the 24-year-old shooter, Holmes said.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
“The 24-year-old man fired several times at the officers. The officers returned fire, which struck the 24-year-old man in the torso,” Holmes said at a news briefing several hours later.
Once the shooter went down, his father picked up the gun and fired several rounds at the two officers, Holmes said. Neither officer was injured in the shootout.
News
The officers were able to take the 45-year-old man into custody and rendered aid to his wounded son. The 24-yera-old was transported to St. Barnabas Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Holmes said there were no reports of injuries from any individuals connected to the original dispute.
The NYPD Force Investigation Division will lead the remainder of the investigation.
