City of New York, NY

11/19/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/20/2024 05:41

Transcript: Mayor Adams Visits Officer who was Shot in 103rd Precinct and Briefs the Media

November 19, 2024

Mayor Eric Adams: We're here to update New Yorkers on the shooting of an NYPD officer that took place this evening here in Queens. I really want to thank Borough President Donovan Richards, who has joined us here as the Queens Borough President. I know this neighborhood so well. I grew up here. I shopped on Jamaica Avenue, and just like many of the shoppers that were walking the avenue when this incident took place, we know how important it is to ensure that you can move throughout the city in a safe way.

It is extremely important, significant, that our officer is going home tonight, and the innocent bystander is also going to go home. They may leave the hospital, but the trauma never leaves you when you're the victim of a shooting of this nature. This is just another stark reminder of the danger that men and women of the NYPD run towards every day. I say it over and over again. They run towards dangers, and our officers did just that.

They went towards a very dangerous individual and [were] able to terminate the threat that New Yorkers were facing. He was a reckless perpetrator who reportedly showed a complete disregard for human life. Due to his disregard, a 26-year-old bystander was also shot in the leg, and thankfully, as I stated, she survived.

We are grateful tonight, but we are also angry. We're angry because we have witnessed in two days a criminal justice system that is failing New Yorkers and the good people of this city. We're angry that a violent, repeated offender who has prior gun arrests, who pled guilty to manslaughter, and who was arrested for seven crimes since 2001 alone was free to commit two robberies tonight, one up on Hillside Avenue area and another down on Jamaica Avenue.

He discharged his firearm during the course of both of these robberies and ultimately shot our officer. Our officers from the 103rd Precinct, part of the finest men and women who are patrolling there, a neighborhood coordination officer, was an officer of what the police department needs and what we do every day. He was searching for a bad guy, to get a bad guy off our street, and to bring them to justice. When a member of the community flagged him down, just as we saw yesterday, when a member of the city flagged down an officer, as always, the police officers shared and did his responsibility and we thank him for that.

The injured officer is currently receiving care here at Jamaica Hospital and is expected to make a full recovery. So I want to thank Kenneth Fretwell, chairman, Department of Surgery here, for the excellent care our officer is getting, and the innocent bystander. And I just visited him, his spirits are high, and his mom was in the room, you could only imagine what that experience is like when you get that call, the knock on the door and transported here to the hospital, not knowing what you were going to find. She was strong and she was steadfast, just like so many mothers do when their sons and daughters go out to protect this city.

I also visited the innocent bystander, I spoke with her sister, and her older sister said this is my baby sister, and you could only imagine receiving that call, of having to deal with your sister being shot while just carrying out her shopping on Jamaica Avenue. It takes courage to put on the uniform, it takes courage to commit yourself to ensure the safety of New Yorkers, to put your life at risk for others, and to answer the call. NYPD moved quickly in response to this incident, and I want to thank them, the men and women who are now doing the preliminary investigation at the scene. No one has a license to commit violence in our city, and I want to assure all New Yorkers that we will pursue justice and continue to work hard to prevent this kind of violence.

The New York City Police Department has removed over close to 10,000 illegal guns off our streets, and every New Yorker should feel safe, that is our obligation. And every New Yorker tourist should know they can visit the five boroughs, take their kids to school, or shop in a local store safely. New York City remains the safest big city in America, but it doesn't do much when you have to go through an incident of this magnitude. We have a job to do, and we're going to do that job, and we want our partners that are part of the criminal justice system to join us in this pursuit, to protect the innocent New Yorkers in this city, and ensure dangerous, violent offenders don't remain on our streets. Turn it over to the police commissioner, Interim Police Commissioner Tom Donlon.

Interim Commissioner Tom Donlon: Thank you, Mayor Adams, and thank you all for being here this evening. A few hours ago, on Jamaica Avenue in Queens, a uniformed, on-duty NYPD officer was shot by a career criminal with an illegal firearm. I just met Officer Wong and his mother, as the mayor mentioned, both are doing fine, and I'm grateful to report that he's expected to make a full recovery.

That's thanks in part to the quick action and heroism of his partner, who was at the scene and quickly rushed him to this hospital. But it's only through the grace of God that we're not having a different conversation right now. I want to extend my sincere gratitude to the doctors and staff at Jamaica Hospital. We're also so thankful for what they do to take care of our officers, especially at times like this. I also want to thank our Chief NYPD Surgeon, Dr. Kleinman. Anytime our cops are in need, Dr. Kleinman is at our side providing expert care and guidance. So thank you, doctor.

This investigation is in its early stages, and we will go exactly over what we need to do in a moment with Chief Kenny. But I want to be very clear. Yet again, a violent criminal with absolutely no regard for human life decided to open fire on an NYPD officer in the middle of a busy New York City street. This extreme recklessness resulted in injuries to our officer and cost this suspect his life. The innocent female bystander, who the mayor mentioned, is also doing well, thankfully. It's important to note that this is the second time this week the public played a critical role in the wake of violence.

Thanks to help from bystanders, we were able to intercede before the suspect could victimize any more New Yorkers. And once again, our officers were being proactive, running towards the danger. Every day, they go above and beyond for the people of this great city. And both the mayor, who is a former NYPD Captain, and I can't thank them enough. Right now, we're incredibly grateful that our officer will be okay. At this time, I want to introduce Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny, who will go through the preliminary timeline of this incident. Thank you.

Chief Joseph Kenny, Chief of Detectives, Police Department: Thank you, commissioner. Good evening. As the commissioner stated, this information is preliminary, as we just started the investigation. So today, at 5:35 p.m., patrol personnel from the 107 precinct responded to a 911 call of a robbery in progress. This was a gunpoint robbery that was taking place inside of 164-01 Hillside Avenue in the confines of the 107 precinct. This location is the Village Market Grocery. It's a bodega. Victims told the responding police officers that a male entered the store and announced a robbery.

This male demanded money. He threatened the workers with a firearm. He threatened the customers with a firearm. He used a black revolver. During this robbery, one shot was fired. Customers were able to tell officers that this perpetrator fled southbound into the confines of the 103 precinct. Responding officers obtained a description of the perpetrator and broadcasted it over the radio. At 6:24 p.m., members of the 103 precinct are canvassing for the suspect from the robbery that had just occurred on Hillside Avenue.

While doing so, they are flagged down by a witness who points out a male on the corner of Jamaica Avenue and 160th Street. The witness informs the two officers that the male had just robbed a smoke shop located at 92-18 Guy R Brewer Boulevard. He used a firearm, and once again, one shot was fired. The officers realized that this male fits the description of the robbery that had taken place earlier on Hillside Avenue. At 6:30 p.m., at 161 Jamaica Avenue, Police Officer Wong and his partner, Police Officer Pryor of the 103 precinct, approach the male. They ask him to stop. He does not comply. They wanted him to stay still. He doesn't comply. Instead, he runs eastbound on Jamaica Avenue away from the officers while producing a firearm. These two officers order him to drop the gun. He does not do so.

He fires one shot, striking Police Officer Wong in his thigh, through and through injury. Police Officer Wong is forced to return fire. He strikes the suspect one time in his face. He is brought to Jamaica Hospital where he is pronounced DOA at 7:04 p.m. A suspect in this case is identified as Gary Worthy. Gary Worthy is a male, Black, 57 years old. His date of birth is 1-6-67 and he resided at 168-34 127th Avenue in Queens. He has 17 priors that include murder, robbery, burglary, and narcotics possession. He is on lifetime parole for firearms possession.

His last arrest was six days ago for possession of felony narcotics and resisting arrest. He was R.O.R.. on that charge. As the mayor said, he is on lifetime parole and since he was on lifetime parole, he's been arrested seven other times since 2021. Worthy was also wanted for three additional gunpoint robberies that occurred on Halloween and November 15th. Shots were also fired at these robberies. Thankfully, Police Officer Wong was removed to Jamaica Hospital for treatment. He will survive his injuries as was the 26-year-old female bystander. This investigation will be handled by the Force Investigation Unit with the assistance of the Detective Bureau.

Patrick Hendry, President, Police Benevolent Association: Patrick Hendry, President of the Police Benevolent Association. We are truly grateful that our hero brother is on the road to recovery here at Jamaica Hospital. But as police officers, when we come to work every day and we stand in that roll call, we never know what type of job we're going to respond to. And this police officer didn't know he was going to end up in this emergency room at Jamaica Hospital. He didn't know when he ran out of the 103 station house, when he heard a robbery in progress. He didn't know he was going to confront a brazen, dangerous, career criminal that didn't think twice about killing a New York City police officer.

I can tell you this, all New Yorkers, you can depend on New York City police officers to do our jobs. We will continue to take dangerous criminals off the streets. We have your back. I can tell you who doesn't have your back, our criminal justice system. It continues to let us down every single day. 17 arrests on lifetime parole, arrested seven times on lifetime parole. What does lifetime parole mean? I think we all would agree, you get arrested, you stay behind bars when you're on lifetime parole. But it didn't happen here. Our criminal justice system is broken from the top to the bottom.

New York City police officers are sick and tired of being assaulted on the streets. We're sick and tired of being shot at. It has to end. We need all New Yorkers, once and for all, to demand change in our criminal justice system. We were in court today for an individual who was involved in killing our hero, brother Jonathan Diller. We will continue to be in courthouses across this city demanding change. And I invite all New Yorkers to show up with us, demand change in our criminal justice system. It needs to change. What is it going to take? The time is now. Change the criminal justice system, top to the bottom. It has to be done. Lives depend on it. We need that change and we need it now.

Question: What do you know about the officer in the Washington, D.C. Department of Foreign Affairs?

Chief John Chell, Chief of Patrol, Police Department: He's from the 103rd precinct, NCO officer, he's been in the department seven years along with his partner. And thank God he's going to survive his injury, which Chief of Detectives mentioned was a thrown-through injury. So thank God.

Question: In New York, Chief, can you talk about the gunshot that was taken at the site of [inaudible]? Can you just expand upon that a little bit more? Who were you just firing at? And also for the mayor, do you have a message to New Yorkers on this second day in 24 hours we've seen violence from criminals? What's your message to New Yorkers if they're worried about, you know, crime and even visiting New York after this?

Chief Kenny: Well, luckily, we know that he fired his weapon three times during the course of these robberies of commercial establishments. Luckily, no one was hit. It seems that, like I said preliminarily in our investigation, that he fires the round to frighten the customers and the workers to gain compliance.

Mayor Adams: The most important message to New Yorkers is that you have thousands of officers who are willing to run towards danger. And their quick observation and apprehension is preventing the further actions. We saw it yesterday, the quick response of the officer when three of our fellow New Yorkers were murdered. And you saw it today.

But also, we cannot underestimate that New Yorkers have founded in themselves to say they're not going to remain silent. On both of these incidents yesterday and today, New Yorkers helped us solve this. And this is a moment where we can reflect on the good people of this city are not going to be imprisoned by fear. They're not going to be imprisoned by those that want to bring violence. Yes, we know we're the safest big city in America, but we want to go further. We want to be the safest city in America. And the NYPD, as the president of the PBA stated, it is going to take the partnership of the entire criminal justice system.

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