The reward in Saturday night's botched car robbery that left an off-duty NYPD officer fighting for his life into Monday has been raised to $20,000, the department announced, as top brass urged anyone with information to come forward.
The 26-year-old officer was shot in the head when gunfire erupted behind a McDonald's off Ruby Street in East New York. NYPD officials said he and his brother-in-law had gone there to buy a car after making a deal on Facebook Marketplace. The purported seller drew guns and demanded money, then shot the cop.
His name hasn't been released.
No arrests have been made as of late Monday, but investigators have identified a person of interest and were looking to make an arrest.
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Mayor Eric Adams said the officer, a five-year veteran assigned to patrol, is married with two children.
After the cop went down, sources said the officer's brother-in-law removed a firearm from his holster and returned fire. The suspect ran to an awaiting black SUV and rode off. That getaway car was later found in Manhattan, sources said.
Senior law enforcement sources say investigators are now looking into whether Saturday's case may be part of a pattern. Adams, meanwhile, vowed to bring the shooter into custody.
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"Too many illegal guns are in the hands of bad people and doing bad things," the mayor said. "I spoke with the officer's wife, saw his beautiful children. We're all lifting his family up in prayer. We will catch the person responsible for this."
It was the second shooting of an NYPD officer in less than three weeks, following a Jan. 17 incident in the Bronx. The cop in that case, who was on patrol at the time, was shot in the arm - allegedly by a 16-year-old gunman.
