Drunken off-duty officer crashes, fires gun at folks coming to his aid: sources

As good Samaritans rushed to his aid, an off-duty cop fired his gun into the air after drunkenly crashing his Jeep into parked cars on a Brooklyn street early Saturday, police sources said.

Police Officer Efrain Alejandro, 29, was charged with drunken driving, assault and menacing. He was suspended from duty, the sources said.

Alejandro was driving a Jeep Wrangler near Vernon Ave. and Throop Ave. in Bedford-Stuyvesant about 2:12 a.m. when he slammed into a row of three parked cars, police sources said.

The owner of a nearby bodega ran outside to see what happened, and an Uber driver attempted to help the officer, said the sources.

Alejandro pulled out a pistol and fired a round into the air, apparently in an attempt to ward off those seeking to help, police sources said.

No one was injured in the incident.

Alejandro was taken to a nearby hospital. His blood alcohol content was 0.08%, said police. He was formally arrested shortly after noon on Saturday, said police.

Alejandro earned $48,555 as a police officer in 2022, according to the website SeeThroughNY, which aggregates data on public employee salaries. Alejandro was assigned to the 40th Precinct in the South Bronx.

In another drunken incident involving an off-duty city worker, FDNY Firefighter Jose Valdez, 37, was charged with drunken driving after he fled the scene of a crash in the Bronx, police said.

Valdez was driving his Jeep Grand Cherokee in the vicinity of Quincy Ave. and Lafayette Ave. in Throgs Neck about 9:40 p.m. on Friday when he rammed into a parked car, police sources said.

When officers arrived, Valdez sped off, leading them on a seven-minute pursuit before he finally pulled over, the sources said.

Valdez, who slurred his speech and reeked of booze, refused to take a Breathalyzer test, police sources said.

Fire Department officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.