Person of interest in Queens cop shooting in custody: police

NEW YORK (PIX11) — A person of interest in the shooting of a rookie NYPD officer in Queens was taken into custody late Thursday, according to authorities.

The man was apprehended by members of the Regional Fugitive Task Force in connection with the Wednesday shooting, law enforcement sources told PIX11 News. His identity was not immediately released, as he had not been formally arrested or charged with a crime as of early Friday.

Around 3:20 p.m. Wednesday, an MTA bus driver flagged down officers near 161st Street and 90th Avenue in Jamaica to report a fight between two passengers over a seat, police previously said.

When the officers approached the bus, one passenger pushed past them and took off running, officials said. One of the cops, identified by police sources as Officer Brett Boller, caught up with the man after a short chase and the two engaged in a struggle that ended with Boller shot once in the hip, authorities said.

Another cop fired two shots at the man as he once again fled, but he apparently escaped unharmed, officials said. In his flight, the man ditched his jacket, orange sweatshirt, and mask in a parking garage, police said.

First responders rushed Boller, who had just started the job three months prior to the day, to an area hospital. He underwent surgery and was listed in what authorities described as stable condition.

Investigators had released several surveillance images of the person they were seeking, and $20,000 in reward money had been put up for leads.

“He was where our communities tell us they want their officers to be, standing a footpost,” said NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell. “He was flagged down by a community member who needed help. He was taking police action. Then he was shot.”