A 25-year-old NYPD officer who was shot while on duty over the weekend died Monday
Brian Moore had been in critical condition since Saturday, when he and a fellow officer were shot at while trying to question a man in Queens. Moore was struck in the head while another officer was uninjured.
Moore and the other officer, Erik Jansen, 30, were sitting in an unmarked police vehicle in Queens on Saturday when they saw a passerby adjusting something in his waistband, according to the NYPD. Moore, who was driving, pulled up behind the man, later identified as 35 year-old Demetrius Blackwell, to ask about it. Blackwell allegedly pulled a gun from his waistband and opened fire on both officers, who were in the car at the time of the shooting.
Moore who had received two exceptional police service medals during his time of service, was highly respected by both Mayor Bill DeBlasio and NYC Police Commissioner William Bratton. NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Moore’s partner was able to identify Blackwell after he was arrested.
In his very brief career, less than five years, he had already proved himself to be an exceptional young officer. In that career, he had made over 159 arrests protecting and serving the citizens of this city.”
-New York Police Commissioner William Bratton
The suspect was arrested nearby as he tried to retreat into the backyards of the neighborhood homes, according to police. Two witnesses also identified Blackwell as the man they saw running with a firearm in the street near the site of the shooting.
The man accused of the shooting, Demetrius Blackwell, was arrested and charged with first-degree attempted murder. Those charges will likely be upgraded with Moore’s death. Blackwell appeared before a judge on Sunday and did not enter a plea.
On Monday, police recovered a Taurus Model 85 5-shot revolver from one of the backyards near where Blackwell was apprehended. The gun had three spent rounds and two live rounds. It was one of 11 firearms that were stolen in Perry, Georgia, in 2011, according to Officer Boyce. Ten of those guns have been recovered in the years since; nine of them in New York.
If convicted, Blackwell faces 15 years to life in prison. Blackwell’s attorney, David Bart, told CNN that it wasn’t unusual for no plea to be entered at this stage stating,
In a case like this, the court rarely asks for one at this time. I don’t think anyone should rush to judgment. I’m still working and looking into things.”
-Infinite Wiz (@Infinitewiz)
