One Suspect May Be At Large After Police Shootout In Midwood, Cops Say

Cops are searching for a possible third suspect involved in a Midwood robbery that ended in a shootout with police Thursday afternoon.

Police shot one of the suspects at the intersection of Avenue O and East 14th Street after a pursuit that ended when the getaway car slammed into the back of a parked vehicle. The man was taken to Kings County Hospital with several bullet wounds and is in stable condition, according to authorities. A second suspect was also arrested at the scene of the shootout, cops said. No police were injured.

Police cautioned that the investigation is in the early stages and authorities are still piecing together information. However, they believe a third suspect was involved in the robbery, which took place around 11am at a Verizon store on Avenue P near East 2nd Street.

Joe Zar, who lives just south of the intersection, said he was outside in his driveway when the shooting took place.

“I heard a crash and I came out of my driveway and heard four shots. I saw the perp on the floor. The guys came running by — one of them almost bumped into me,” he said. “It was very scary. I’m very shaken. I had my daughter in the house.”

The shootout took place on a quiet, residential block. A grey Jeep Cherokee, allegedly used as the getaway car, had smashed into the back of a parked silver Hyundai in the southwest corner of the intersection. A police SUV, angled against the jeep, had its bumper hooked under the open driver-side door. The Jeep’s back passenger-side door was also flung open. Police said the thieves had also collided with several other vehicles during the chase. Small orange cones — possibly marking bullet casings — were scattered around the northwest corner of the intersection.

Cops say they recovered two semi-automatic guns at the scene, as well as a scanner. They said the suspect who was shot brandished a firearm when he emerged from the Jeep. Authorities could not confirm whether he exchanged gunfire with police.

Speaking at a press conference outside the scene of the shooting, NYPD Assistant Chief Patrick Conry said the incident began when three men entered the Verizon store and forced the four employees into a back room at gunpoint. They then stole several cellphones and fled.

One of the employees hopped into a car and followed the robbers while another called police, Conry said. The employee in the car pulled over beside a police car and alerted the officers that the robbers were driving in the area. Cops later caught up with the Jeep driving west on Avenue O, where they crashed and one of the suspects was shot.

Thursday’s robbery resembles several previous holdups of cellphone stores in the area. In each case, the three men entered the store with guns drawn and forced the employees into a back room while they pilfered the business’ merchandise. Conry said police were looking into whether the robbers on Thursday were involved in other crimes, but would not say whether they were suspects in any specific cases.

Update [January 29, 11:30am]: Cops reported that the third suspect has been arrested. For more information check out our latest story.