A retired NYPD detective is recovering from a gunshot wound from a stray bullet after a walk to work ended up with a rush to the hospital.
Law enforcement sources said the former cop was hit in the stomach when a shooting broke out near the famous Harlem restaurant Red Rooster on Lenox Avenue near West 125th Street. Police said the 60-year-old was an unintended target of the shooting that occurred around 7 a.m. Tuesday.
Investigators believe the bullets were intended for another man in his early 20s who was grazed in the neck. They said that man has a criminal record and may be linked to gang activity.
The retired detective, who sources said left the department in 2006, currently works as a consultant for the city's Administration for Children's Services. He was heading to work when he was struck by the errant bullet, according to sources.
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The detective was said to be in good spirits and surrounded by family and friends at Harlem Hospital, and is expected to survive. The other man was also hospitalized and is expected to recover.
It is believed the violence broke out when members of rival gangs encountered each other on the street outside a smoke shop. Police canvassed the area for evidence in the hours following the shooting.
No arrests have yet been made, and police are searching for the suspects. An investigation is ongoing.
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Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
