NEW YORK — Two NYPD officers in Queens were shot Tuesday in an ambush by a City University New York (CUNY) security officer — who had his guns taken away in a previous domestic dispute, only to have them returned a few months ago, NYPD sources said.
One of the officers was left bleeding heavily from a wound to his leg, while the other took a bullet to the hand during a shootout that erupted as soon as the officers arrived at the front of the Springfield Gardens home around 12:45 p.m., sources said, reported the New York Post.
The officers had been escorting shooter Rondell Goppy’s wife back to the troubled pair’s apartment at 145-86 179th St. to get her things so she could stay somewhere else after a violent incident between them, sources said.
“The wife walked into the 105th Precinct this morning. She said her husband choked her,’’ a law-enforcement source told The Post.
“The domestic-violence officers went back with her to the house to get some stuff. When they got there, [the husband] is waiting for them on the stoop with two guns in a combat stance,” the source said. “He fires at the cops, they return fire.’’
Goppy was killed in the confrontation — and the wife ended up notifying police that two NYPD officers were struck by gunfire when she called 911 to report the shooting, sources said.
ADVISORY: Please avoid the area of 146th Road and 179th Street in Queens due to police activity. Expect a large police presence and traffic in the area. pic.twitter.com/GYh5kh5ws3
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) November 24, 2020
The officers were rushed to Jamaica Hospital, where they were awaiting possible surgery, sources said.
The suspect worked security for CUNY and owned several firearms, according to the report. The weapons were seized in July after a reported domestic incident, sources said.
However, the firearms were returned in September, law-enforcement sources said.
Then last month, his wife called authorities to report that he had taken her passport and credit cards, sources said.
While the wife was on the phone with the 911 operator, her husband could be heard in the background saying, “Are you calling the cops on me again?’’ before she hung up, sources said.
Three 9mm handguns belonging to the suspect were recovered at the scene Tuesday, sources said.
