» Bronx shooting:
Two suspects were arrested after an armed holdup and a wild shootout that left a pair of plainclothes police officers wounded,
NEW YORK—Two suspects were arrested Tuesday after an armed holdup and a wild shootout that left a pair of plainclothes police of)icers wounded.
The shooting came about two weeks after two of)icers were fatally shot while sitting in their patrol car in Brooklyn, and on the same day that the city touted record-low crime levels.
Security video showed one of the men, Jason Polanco, blasting away at the of)icers with a powerful .44 Magnum pistol as they pursued him Monday night following a robbery in a Bronx grocery store, police said.
Polanco, 23, was arrested on attempted murder and robbery charges. The second man, 28-yearold Joshua Kemp, was charged with robbery.
At a news conference, New York Police Department officials praised five officers for choosing to respond to the robbery report even though their shifts had ended and they were about to head home. The two wounded officers, Andrew Dossi and Aliro Pellerano, were hospitalized in stable condition.
“I commend them for their courage,” Chief of Department James O’Neill said. “They were going home ... and they ended up getting into a )ierce )ire)ight.”
Monday night’s violence unfolded as officers who are part of an anti-crime unit spotted Kemp outside a Chinese restaurant and Polanco inside it.
When the of)icers got out of their car and approached Kemp, Polanco shot one round through the window of the restaurant, striking Kemp and one of)icer, police said. H e went outside and )ired two more shots and wounded the second of)icer; one of)icer returned three shots but missed.
Polanco ran away and carjacked a white Camaro that he crashed a few blocks away, police said. H e jumped out, ditched his gun and fled on foot, they said.
Investigators released video early Tuesday that prompted several tips from the public that led to Polanco’s identi)ication and capture, police said. Kemp was caught after seeking treatment for his wound at a hospital, which contacted police.
On Dec. 20, of)icers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were gunned down in their patrol car by a man who vowed online to kill “pigs.” The man opened )ire, then ran into a subway where he shot himself to death.
Ramos was buried Dec. 27; Liu was buried Sunday. Tens of thousands of of)icers from around the country attended the funerals.