NYPD detective shot in standoff with man inside apartment on Lower East Side

By WABC Staff

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    LOWER EAST SIDE (WABC) — An NYPD detective was shot Tuesday morning during a police standoff with a barricaded suspect at an apartment building on the Lower East Side.

The officer has non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment where he was treated and released later in the afternoon.

The first gunfire was shortly after 5 a.m., when police officers arrived to execute a search warrant at the city-run Vladeck Houses on Madison Street.

The suspect, later identified as 35-year-old Edwin Rivera, fired five to six rounds, hitting an officer’s ballistic shield. No officers were struck and they did not return fire.

Officers backed up and the suspect barricaded himself in the apartment, pushing a sofa against the door to block it.

Hostage negotiators responded, and the decision was made at around 8:30 a.m. to make entry to the apartment.

Police say Rivera opened fire again, striking one of the officers in the shoulder. Officers returned fire, striking the suspect, who was then taken into custody.

Both Rivera and officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Rivera is currently on parole and has a prior arrest for drugs. Police were investigating guns at the time of the search warrant.

“We are angry this menace is back on our streets, possesses yet another firearm and ultimately shoots an NYPD officer,” Mayor Eric Adams said.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch described Rivera as a “career criminal” and said officers should not have been at his door on Tuesday morning in the first place.

“So the real question here is this, why was this individual out of jail and in a position to shoot our officers, how is the system set up to allow one person to commit multiple violent offenses while out on parole with no consequences,” Tisch said. “I ask our elected officials in Albany, our DAs and our judges, what are you doing here, we should never have had to be at that door this morning, we should never have had a cop shot today. Blessedly, our cop will be going home to his family and we are all incredibly grateful for that.”

The shot officer is a veteran detective, currently assigned to the Emergency Services Unit. His injuries did not require surgery.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg released a statement:

“Today’s shooting is another sobering reminder of how members of the NYPD put themselves in danger to keep us all safe. I am grateful that this detective is expected to make a full recovery and thank him for his continued service to our city.”

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