NYPD: Armed Carjacking Suspect Fatally Shot By Off-Duty Officer

A 22-year-old man was killed early Thursday morning following an officer-involved shooting in the Cypress Hills section of Brooklyn.

The New York City Police Department says the man was suspected of carjacking a minivan from 80th Street in Woodhaven around 4 a.m. They say he was also suspected of being involved in a separate shooting and attempted carjacking in Queens.

Investigators say he was armed with a revolver and wearing a mask when he somehow crashed the minivan into a utility pole at the intersection of Jamaica Avenue and Cyprus Street.

Police say he then took off on foot but was seen by an off-duty emergency services lieutenant who followed him to Hemlock Street where the two exchanged fire.

The suspect was pronounced dead at Brookdale Hospital.

Investigators say the officer was uninjured.



Police later recovered a .38-caliber revolver at the scene as residents and community workers looked on.

"You don't see the community protesting and they're not going to protest. And the reason they're not going to protest: Because it's their life. It could have been one of their kids on their way to school that could have got run down by this guy," said Juan Rodriguez of the 75th Precinct Community Council.

It's the third fatal shooting in the 75th precinct in the last few weeks, and the second involving an NYPD member firing a gun.

Officer Peter Figoski was killed on December 12 while responding to a robbery call on Pine Street in Cypress Hills.

On January 13, police shot and killed Duane Browne, 27, who was holding a gun outside his East New York home.

His family says he was protecting them from robbers.

Residents living in the neighborhood of the latest shooting say they are worried about the recent gun violence.

"A month ago, you know, we had the other officer who got shot and it's like, this area is normally nice so it's a little strange that all of a sudden something else happened and it's like the neighborhood is starting to change and it's a little scary," said one Cypress Hills resident.

Police say an investigation is ongoing.