NYC officer fights for life
Shooting suspect is ex-convict who called self ‘hell-raiser’
New York — A man who officials say boasted of being a street “hell-raiser” and who served prison time for attempted murder was arraigned on charges that he shot a New York City police officer in the head.
Officer Brian Moore “is fighting for his life,” Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said after spending many hours with the comatose 25-year-old officer.
Moore remained hospitalized in critical but stable condition after hours of surgery.
The suspect, Demetrius Blackwell, 35, was ordered held without bail Sunday after appearing in Queens Criminal Court in a torn white jumpsuit for a five-minute arraignment, during which more than 100 Blackwell officers packed the courtroom.
He was arrested Saturday night and charged with attempted murder in Moore’s shooting.
Assistant District Attorney Peter Mccormack said Moore and patrol partner Erik Jansen, both in plainclothes in an unmarked police car, approached Blackwell on a Queens street after seeing him tugging at his waistband around 6:15 p.m. Saturday and asked him “What are you carrying?” after which Blackwell fired a gun.
Jansen was not hit and radioed for help.
According to state corrections records, Blackwell was convicted in 2001 on an attempted murder charge. Officials said Blackwell pointed a handgun at the occupant of a car in a robbery attempt, then fired shots. He served the full five years of his sentence, and then returned to prison for violating parole in 2007. He was released in 2008.
Mccormack said Blackwell also was arrested in 2013 after he grabbed at a police detective’s badge and spit at him.
Moore, who comes from a family of officers, has been on the job since July 2010.