Early Monday morning, two New York City police officers were shot in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens while chasing a suspect involved in a series of robberies. The suspect, identified as Bernardo Raul Castro Matta, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, was driving a scooter the wrong way when the officers attempted to pull him over.
During the pursuit, the suspect fled on foot and opened fire on the officers, injuring one in the stomach area of his bullet-proof vest and the other in the leg. Both officers were quickly transported to nearby hospitals and are expected to make a full recovery.
Mayor Eric Adams condemned the shooting as a 'senseless act of violence' and highlighted the dangers faced by law enforcement officers on a daily basis. The suspect, Castro Matta, was also wounded in the incident and is currently receiving medical treatment.
Police revealed that the gun used by the suspect was illegally possessed and that Castro Matta is a suspect in multiple robbery patterns in Queens. Despite having no prior arrests in New York City, the 19-year-old had entered the country illegally through Texas and was residing in a migrant shelter in Queens.
The incident sheds light on the increasing use of scooters and motorbikes in criminal activities across the city. Police reported a significant rise in crimes involving scooters, including shootings, robberies, and phone snatches over the past few years.
From January 1 to June 1, 2022, there were no reported robbery patterns involving scooters. However, in the same period in 2023, the number of incidents rose to 20. By June 1, 2024, there were over 80 such incidents reported, indicating a troubling trend in criminal behavior.
The wounded officers, with five and two years of service respectively, exemplify the risks faced by law enforcement personnel in their efforts to protect the community. The NYPD continues to investigate the incident and address the growing challenges posed by scooter-related crimes in the city.
