Last night, a rookie NYPD officer was injured after a sniper opened fire from a Brooklyn project building. Officer Jamil Sarwar was shot once in the thigh at the Cypress Hill Houses, prompting authorities to put the area on lockdown while they searched door-to-door for the gunman.
According to NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, another officer saw two people engaged in a gunfight around 10:45 p.m. “They pursued the individual thought to be involved in the original shooting...but they lost him,” Kelly said. Officer Sarwar and partner Javier Solos responded as well, making it inside the building before hearing three shots. That's when Sarwar realized he had been shot in the thigh.
Authorities say the shooter knew he opened fire on police officers. “They were standing together. It’s a well-lit area. They had to know they were shooting at cops,” said a source close to law enforcement. Sarwar was transported to Jamaica Hospital for treatment.
At the scene, 9mm and 40-caliber shell casings were recovered, but it's unknown if they're related to the shooting.
[via New York Post]
