Bullets Fired On East 23rd Street Not Aimed At NYPD, Cops Say

Gunshots fired near police officers on East 23rd Street Tuesday evening were not aimed at the cops, despite initial news reports. In addition, a verbal threat hurled at officers in the 66th Precinct earlier that day was unconnected to the gunfire in the next precinct over, police sources told Ditmas Park Corner.

“One or two bullets” were fired in the direction of two NYPD officers in uniform who were walking on East 23rd Street, around 10:30pm on Tuesday July 19, say cops. The shots came from a dark colored sedan with tinted windows.

Early this morning, the New York Post reported that the shots “targeted” police officers, and as late as 8:45am, the Sergeants Benevolent Association Facebook page noted, “Although the media is reporting the police were not the intended targets, we have strong information and reason to believe that they were.” Surveillance footage obtained by cops revealed that that the shots were not targeting the officers, rather they were aimed at a group of people standing 35 feet south of them, outside of 413 East 23rd Street near Ditmas Avenue, according to a police spokesperson.

Earlier on Tuesday, suspects in a Nissan Ultima with tinted windows rolled up to officers in the 66th Precinct, flashed alleged gang signs and a gun hand-symbol, and said “We are going to get you,” before peeling away at around 4:30pm on July 19.

The New York Post reported that police temporarily closed the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Verrazano-Narrows bridges last night while searching for the sedan from the 70th Precinct gunfire, but we don’t yet have confirmation from police.

Cops also said that the incidents had been reported falsely, and we found competing facts in multiple news reports. We will continue to update as new information is revealed.