NYPD Officers Jason Rivera, Wilbert Mora Shot In Deadly Confrontation With Suspect Lashawn McNeil In Harlem – CBS New York

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — An NYPD officer was fatally shot in Harlem on Friday night.

The officer has been recognized as 22-year-old Jason Rivera.

Tonight, we mourn the lack of a hero officer — a son, husband, and good friend. Solely 22 years previous, Police Officer Jason Rivera was murdered within the line of obligation. We vow to #NeverForget Jason as his fellow Best vow to honor his super legacy of service & the final word sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/5zsx45XiM4

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) January 22, 2022

READ MORE: With Tragic Shooting Of 2 Police Officers In Harlem, 5 NYPD Officers Have Been Shot In January

A second officer, 27-year-old Wilbert Mora, was additionally shot and is preventing for his life.

NYPD Officer Wilbert Mora (Credit score: NYPD)

Police say Rivera, Mora and a 3rd officer have been despatched to an condominium at 119 W. one hundred and thirty fifth St. round 6:15 p.m. in response to a 911 name from a girl who stated she was in a dispute along with her son. The caller didn’t point out any accidents or any weapons, Chief of Detectives James Essig stated.

When the officers entered the condominium, they encountered the lady and one other son. The girl stated the son she had been arguing with, who has been recognized as 47-year-old Lashawn McNeil, was within the again bed room.

One officer remained with the lady and son whereas Rivera and Mora went down a protracted, slim hallway to the again bed room.

Police say the door to the bed room then swung open and quite a few pictures have been fired, putting Rivera and Mora.

McNeil then tried to go away the condominium, coming down the identical hallway the place the 2 officers have been shot. He encountered the third officer, who fired two pictures, putting McNeil in the precise arm and the pinnacle.

WATCH: Mayor Adams, Police Officers Give Replace —

A neighbor advised CBS2’s Ali Bauman he heard the pictures.

“Round 10 or 15 pictures got here from behind my constructing, which is, I’m not going to say not regular, but it surely’s the incidence right here in Harlem. It’s been getting unhealthy during the last yr or so,” he stated. “I believed they have been fireworks.”

“Round 10 to fifteen pictures, like fast fireplace. I believed they have been fireworks, then I’m like, no person does fireworks in January,” Harlem resident Jordan Sartor stated.

Lashawn McNeil (Picture supplied)

“You hear all of the sirens. You see all of the automobiles. It’s unhappy. It’s unhappy. It’s simply unhappy. We received sufficient issues on this world, we don’t… This isn’t it,” one individual advised CBS2’s Dick Brennan.

The injured officers and McNeil have been taken to Harlem Hospital, the place Rivera later died.

McNeil underwent surgical procedure on the hospital. His present situation is unknown.

Preliminary stories advised the third officer who fired at McNeil additionally sustained some accidents within the incident.

Watch Ali Bauman’s report — 

A girl who works at Harlem Hospital advised CBS2’s Cory James she noticed the chaos as she was leaving.

“Two of the nurses have been working by, saying, ‘Transfer out of the best way, transfer out of the best way, emergency, emergency,’” she stated.

Dozens and dozens of NYPD officers stuffed the halls of Harlem Hospital for hours, standing in assist of a fallen brother and one preventing for his life.

READ MORE: NYPD Narcotics Detective Wounded In Shooting On Staten Island Hailed As Hero For Protecting Fellow Officers

Mayor Eric Adams stated regardless that solely prime police officers are normally current at press conferences, he particularly wished everybody to be in the identical room Friday night time.

Each the mayor and police commissioner have been praying with the officers’ households and are asking New York to hope for them.

“They got here to reply a name for service. What numerous officers do each single day,” NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell stated.

Watch Chopper 2 over Harlem Hospital —

“It’s our metropolis towards the killers. It’s our metropolis towards the killers. This was simply not an assault on three courageous officers. This was an assault on town of New York. It’s an assault on the kids and households of this metropolis. And we’re not going to win this battle by dividing traces between us. We should save this metropolis collectively. That’s what we should do,” Adams stated.

He known as on Washington to assist cease the stream of weapons into town.

“We’re going to discover these weapons and we’re going to discover those that carry them and use them. We’re dedicated to ending this violence. My coronary heart goes out to those households who’re experiencing such a traumatic expertise,” Adams stated.

“Our division is hurting. Our metropolis is hurting. It’s past comprehension,” Sewell stated.

In the meantime, police say they recovered a gun from the scene that had been stolen from Baltimore in 2017. It was a .45 caliber pistol with a high-capacity journal.

Beneath is an image of the gun used to shoot our officers. pic.twitter.com/TkcMR2tr83

— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) January 22, 2022

McNeil had one prior arrest in New York Metropolis for a felony conviction of narcotics in 2003. He was on probation.

He additionally had 4 prior arrests exterior of New York Metropolis for varied prices together with assault on a police officer and weapons possession.

Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg responded to the incident on Twitter, saying, “It is a horrible tragedy and our ideas and prayers exit to the officers, their households and your entire NYPD. The officers who serve and defend us danger their lives day-after-day. Violence towards police can’t be tolerated.”

It is a horrible tragedy and our ideas and prayers exit to the officers, their households and your entire NYPD. The officers who serve and defend us danger their lives day-after-day. Violence towards police can’t be tolerated.

— Alvin Bragg (@ManhattanDA) January 22, 2022

New York Lawyer Normal Letitia James launched an announcement, saying, “All of New York state is in mourning tonight. As we await the details, my workplace might assert jurisdiction on this matter. We pray for the protection of our police and our communities.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul launched the next assertion:

“I’m horrified by tonight’s tragedy in Harlem. My ideas are with the household who answered the cellphone to obtain the information they’ve at all times dreaded: that their liked one, who had sworn to guard and serve New Yorkers by becoming a member of the NYPD, is not going to be coming residence. I’m praying for the restoration of his companion, the officer who’s preventing for his life, and for his household. I do know that each one of New York is standing with these officers and their households.

“We should urgently confront the plague of gun violence in our state. Too many lives are being misplaced, and too many New Yorkers reside in worry. It is a disaster. That’s why earlier at the moment, I prolonged an Govt Order declaring a gun violence State of Emergency. Within the Govt Price range I launched earlier this week, I put ahead a plan to triple sources for our gun interdiction efforts, in order that we cease the stream of unlawful weapons into our state, and likewise triple sources for violence interrupter packages to handle the basis causes of violence.

“I refuse to permit our cities to be gripped with worry. New Yorkers deserve motion from their elected officers — and they’re going to get it. I’ve pledged my full assist to Mayor Eric Adams and stay up for working with him and different leaders to proceed to take significant actions to make New Yorkers safer.”

Harlem residents spoke to CBS2 in regards to the gun violence within the metropolis.

“They’re beginning to get out of hand. I believe the strategy must be completely different. I believe they have to be extra aggressive,” one individual stated.

“We’re about to have a child, too, in order that form of makes it worse. You need to have the ability to stroll your baby in a stroller and really feel protected at night time. I do my laundry proper the place the taking pictures occurred. Only a unhappy night time,” one other individual stated.

“I’m unhappy. I’m a giant fan of the NYPD. I do know what a loopy yr we’ve had. Black Lives Matter and everybody, you understand, talks down on the cops, however as a Black man, a army veteran, I like these guys and girls and what they do. I at all times see them out and I at all times say thanks, so it’s simply unhappy,” Sartor stated.

Together with Friday night time’s incident, 4 officers have been shot this week, and a complete of 5 cops have been shot this month.

Earlier this week, an officer on Staten Island was shot in the leg and one other officer was shot in the leg in the Bronx. Each of these officers are anticipated to get well.

On New 12 months’s Day, an NYPD officer was shot while resting in his car between shifts in East Harlem. Officers consider he was hit within the head by a stray bullet. That officer was handled and launched from the hospital.

MORE NEWS: NYPD Officer Released From Hospital After Being Shot In The Bronx

CBS2’s Dick Brennan, Ali Bauman and Cory James contributed to this report.