Suspect nabbed in shooting of off-duty NYPD cop
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
A man suspected of shooting an off-duty NYPD officer in a Brooklyn alley after allegedly luring him with a phony car sale was taken into custody Monday, according to police.
Police sources identified the man as Randy “Popper” Jones of Manhattan.
The 38-year-old was arrested in Rockland County, cops said. Police had tracked him down to a hotel, NBC News reported.
Jones has 13 prior arrests in the city dating back to 2008, including for strangulation, grand larceny and aggravated harassment, sources said.
He had an active warrant out for his arrest for driving without a license when cops nabbed him Monday, they added.
Jones was transported back to the city and being held at the NYPD’s 75th Precinct stationhouse pending charges on Monday night, cops said.
Hours before his arrest, the gunman’s abandoned BMW was discovered in Manhattan.
The wounded officer remains in critical condition at Brookdale University Hospital.
The officer and a relative were robbed after heading to Ruby St. between Linden Blvd. and Dumont Ave. in East New York around 7 p.m. Saturday.
They were hoping to buy a Honda Pilot for $20,000 after seeing the SUV advertised on Facebook Marketplace, law enforcement sources said, but the supposed seller pulled out a gun.
After an exchange of gunfire, a bullet struck the officer in the head, critically injuring him.
The 26-year-old’s relative, a brother or brother-in-law, grabbed the wounded cop’s weapon and returned fire five times — but didn’t hit the robber, sources said.
The gunman took off in the BMW, leaving the wounded cop on the street.
