Off-duty NYPD officer shot in Queens robbery attempt; suspects had 'extensive rap sheets'
2 men charged in shooting of off-duty NYPD officer
Two arrests were made after an off-duty NYPD officer was shot during an attempted robbery in Queens. FOX 5 NY's Robert Moses has the latest details.
QUEENS - Two men were arrested and charged after an off-duty NYPD officer was shot during an attempted robbery Sunday morning in Queens, officials said.
The 25-year-old officer was taken to Mount Sinai Queens, where he’s expected to recover after suffering a gunshot wound to his left leg.
What we know:
According to officials, the officer was off duty around 6:30 a.m. when he was the victim of an attempted robbery near the intersection of 43rd Ave. and 21st St.
The officer apparently sped away from the would-be robbers, driving over a mile to 31st Rd. and 21st St. in Astoria, police said. A bullet hole could be seen in the front wheel windshield of his neon-green BMW.
Police say the two suspects fled in a Nissan Sedan. They were taken into custody in Flushing.
Who are the suspects?
Police identified the suspects as 26-year-old Marvin Dankwah, of Brooklyn, and 29-year-old Denzel Brown, of Endicott, NY.
Both are charged with:
- Second-degree attempted murder.
- Robbery in the first degree.
- Criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.
Sources say Brown has been charged in the past with rape.
According to police, both suspects have extensive rap sheets, much to the chagrin of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who spoke exclusively yesterday with FOX 5 NY’s Meredith Gorman. He questioned why they were even on the streets in the first place.
What they're saying:
"The two individuals who were involved, they had an extensive long record, arrested for almost 10 times, and it just really feeds into what we have been stating," Adams said. "Albany must fix the recidivism problem that we're seeing in this city. When you have individuals who are arrested close to 10 times for extremely dangerous crimes, and they're now out committing a robbery that shot a police officer, that sends a terrible message."
Adams also expressed relief that the officer was not more seriously hurt, saying, "Thank God the police officer was OK."
What we don't know:
The NYPD has not publicly identified the off-duty officer who was shot.