In Queens on Wednesday afternoon, an off-duty NYPD officer was shot in the leg during a heated road rage altercation with two brothers, Edwin Rivera, 32, and Sean Rivera, 27. The confrontation took place around 12:49 p.m. at 70th Street and Queens Boulevard in Woodside.
The incident escalated when the officer, a five-year NYPD veteran whose name remains undisclosed, encountered a white minivan obstructing the road. An argument ensued, leading to a chase and another altercation. Amidst the chaos, the minivan driver’s brother shattered the officer’s car window.
After identifying himself as a police officer and declaring the brothers under arrest, the off-duty officer attempted to apprehend the window-smashing individual. In the ensuing chaos, the officer was overpowered and placed in a chokehold by the second brother. A violent struggle resulted in two rounds being discharged from the officer’s service weapon.
Backup arrived soon after, with uniformed officers taking control of the situation. While one brother was arrested on the spot, the other turned up in a nearby hospital with a gunshot wound to his hand.
The injured off-duty officer was treated for a non-life-threatening gunshot injury to his thigh. Charges against the brothers are pending, with the investigation ongoing.