NYPD officers injured: 2 NYPD officers injured in shooting with migrant in Elmhurst, Queens

ELMHURST, Queens (WABC) — Two New York Police Department officers were shot during a confrontation with a suspect on a scooter who allegedly had a gun in Elmhurst, Queens.

Officers were shot at the intersection of 23rd Avenue and 87th Street around 1:40 a.m.

One of the officers was hit in the upper leg, the other in the stomach, hitting his bulletproof vest.

“We heard three to four shots, then one shot. We thought maybe someone had set off fireworks, but within a minute a police car arrived, we heard the siren, we went outside and saw the crime scene,” said Muhammad Ali, an eyewitness.

Mayor Eric Adams held up his bulletproof vest during a news conference Monday, showing reporters where the bullet hit the officer.

Watch the entire news conference with officials about the shooting:

“It’s a bullet hole because a young policeman is walking home wearing this vest. “A senseless act of violence, a complete disregard for life,” Adams said. “Our officers responded with professionalism and discipline, and we thank God for that today.”

The officers were taken to Elmhurst Hospital in stable condition and are expected to be released Monday morning.

“They worked hard on our officers, they worked with great skill,” New York City Police Commissioner Edward Caban said of the hospital workers. “We know it could have turned out very differently.”

Caban further added, “They are in good spirits and the NYPD is on standby to help them make a full recovery. Only by the grace of God are we not talking about tragedy here.”

“New Yorkers don’t wear this every day, and I want to thank the police commissioner and police employees for putting their lives on the line every day,” Adams said. “And if that’s not a true symbol of that, I don’t know what is.”

A 19-year-old suspect was also injured, probably shot in the lower leg. A weapon was found at the scene.

Police carried him to an ambulance and he was taken to NY Presbyterian Hospital in Queens.

He was identified as Bernardo Raul Castro Mato, a Venezuelan migrant who entered the United States through Eagle Pass, Texas, in July 2023.

Police say Mato is a suspect in several ongoing robberies in Queens in which cellphones are snatched from victims. In one case, a woman was attacked, her credit card was stolen and then used in a tobacco shop.

He lives in an immigrant shelter at the hotel 90-10 Ditmars Boulevard. He was stopped by police for riding a moped in the wrong direction at 82nd Street and 23rd Avenue in East Elmhurst.

A foot chase ensued for several blocks.

“The officer shot in the vest was more concerned that his partner had been shot in the leg and placed a tourniquet on his partner,” said Patrick Hendry, president of the New York State PBA. “That’s what partners in the NYPD do: they save each other’s lives.”

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