A New York City Police officer was killed and another critically wounded while responding to a domestic disturbance call in Harlem Friday evening.
Mayor Eric Adams joined police officials in denouncing the violence against officers and called for a crackdown on guns in the city.
“It is our city against the killers,” said Mr. Adams, a former police captain. “This was just not an attack on three brave officers. This was an attack on the city of New York.”
“We need Washington to join us and act now to stop the flow of guns in New York City and cities like New York,” Mr. Adams said. “We’re all witnesses. We have witnessed these murders and we have witnessed the failure on the federal level to stop the flow of guns to this city.
The deceased officer was identified as 22-year-old Jason Rivera, who joined the department in November of 2020. The wounded officer, Wilbert Mora, 27, has been on the force for four years.
“I am struggling to find the words to express the tragedy we are enduring,” said Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell. “We’re mourning, and we’re angry.”
The officers were responding to a call from a woman involved in an argument with her adult son. While on the scene the man identified by police as Lashawn J. McNeil, 47, emerged from a bedroom in the apartment and opened fire on the officers.
A third officer shot at Mr. McNeil and wounded him while he attempted to flee. Mr. McNeil is being hospitalized in critical condition.
Friday’s shooting marks four officers shot in New York City in as many days.
Earlier this week an officer was wounded in a shooting in the Bronx. On Thursday a narcotics detective was shot on Staten Island.
Before Friday’s shooting the last police officer to be shot fatally in the line of duty in New York City was Brian Mulkeen, who was shot by friendly fire in September of 2019 while struggling with an armed man in the Bronx.
The last officer to be killed in the line of duty in New York City was Anastasios Tsakos, who was hit by a suspected drunk driver in May of last year.
Mr. Adams has taken several measures to crack down on violence in the city since taking office just weeks ago. He has reinstated a specialized, plainclothes police unit aimed at ridding New York streets of guns. The unit was disbanded in 2020 over complaints against the unit.
On Friday, Mr. Adams pledged to crack down further.
“We’re going to honor the memory of this officer lost to gun violence by standing untied against these killers and those who are arming them, their coconspirators to the violence that we are witnessing in New York City,” he said.
“We’re going to find these guns, and we’re going to find those that carry them and use them, the mayor said. We are committed to ending this violence.
• This story includes wire reporting.
• Joseph Clark can be reached at jclark@washingtontimes.com.
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