NEW YORK, NY- An NYPD detective survived a brush with death Tuesday morning when he was shot by a career criminal while trying to serve a search warrant on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, AM NY reported.
NYPD officials said that officers attached to the Emergency Services Unit attempted to breach an apartment inside the Vladeck Houses public housing complex at around 5:00 a.m., when the suspect, Edwin Rivera, opened fire.
“The team gained entry and immediately were fired upon by the perpetrator inside the apartment. The perpetrator fired five to six rounds at our cops; one struck our officers’ ballistic shield, and our officers exercised restraining,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a morning press conference at Bellevue Hospital. “They did not return fire at that time, and the team tactically repositioned in the hallway. At this point, the perpetrator barricaded himself in the apartment with a couch upright, locking the doorway.”
A long standoff ensued for several hours, at which point the ESU attempted to breach the apartment. As officers entered the apartment, Rivera again began shooting, striking the detective in the left shoulder. Had the bullet been slightly to the left, the officer could have suffered serious or mortal wounds, Tisch said.
NYPD ESU DETECTIVE Truck 1 MANHATTAN .. BEAST MODE...
— The E Man🇺🇸Street PHD (@DETECTIVE4LIFE) February 18, 2025
Applies his own tourniquet and smiles after being shot on lower east side. @davidwebbshow @TimRunsHisMouth pic.twitter.com/UyKZlRuxsm
Officers returned fire this time and stuck Rivera multiple times, incapacitating him. Both Rivera and the detective, whose name was not released, were transported to Bellevue, and both are expected to survive.
New York Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD officer, visited the wounded detective and his family.
“I just visited him and his family, his son, and his wife. “He’s in good spirits and just wants to get back to work. That is his desire. He takes pride and courage to do the job,” Adams said. “Today’s investigation could have turned deadly quickly, but thankfully, our injured officer and his colleagues are now safe, and the people of New York City are safer because this violent offender is off our streets.
“We’re angry because the shooter is a violent, repeat offender with prior gun arrests who was on parole for narcotics use and sales,” Adams continued. “We’re angry that this man is back on our streets, possesses another firearm, and ultimately shoots an NYPD officer.”
The New York Post reported that Tisch, who has become increasingly aggravated by New York’s “justice system,” again slammed the city’s criminal justice system's revolving door, referring to Tisch as “a career criminal, convicted felon with multiple priors for gun possession and narcotics.”
“He has been on parole four times and is actually on parole today,” Tisch said of Rivera. “And I want to be very clear that today is not the only time that Mr. Rivera has been arrested while out on his parole.
“He was previously arrested on Nov. 6, 2024, for criminal possession of stolen property and resisting arrest,” Tisch continued. “The Manhattan DA only charged him with resisting arrest and so, sadly and predictably, and, although he was on active patrol, he was released the very next day.”
Please keep the brave NYPD detective shot this morning in your thoughts and prayers. Detective is expected to recover fully.
— Joe Gamaldi (@JoeGamaldi) February 18, 2025
Surprise surprise the dirtbag who shot him is a career criminal, who was on parole for gun charges, and had been arrested while on parole but not sent…
According to New York Department of Corrections records, Rivera was released from the Queensboro Correctional Facility in April 2023 after serving nearly four years for a felony drug conviction.
Rivera has a lengthy rap sheet and has a number of previous drug and weapons charges dating back to 2009.
NYPD Chief of Detectives gave the reason officers did not initially return fire when Rivera’s shot struck the ballistic shield.
“They don’t fire back because they don’t know exactly what’s going on in the apartment,” Kenny said. “They reposition themselves, and then they decide to make reentry again.”
Meanwhile, Scott Munro, president of the NYPD Detectives’ Endowment Association, expressed gratitude that the wounded officer wasn’t more seriously injured.
“Today, New York City and the NYPD are extremely fortunate that we are not planning a funeral for our hero detective who got shot and injured in the line of duty,” Munro said.
“This incident underscores the dangers faced by the NYPD detectives.”
Tuesday morning’s arrest stems from the theft of an electric scooter on Oct. 26. He was caught wheeling it out of his apartment and got into a scuffle with police when questioned.
Rotund Manhattan DA, who has been widely criticized for his soft-on-crime policies, issued a statement in which he claimed the resisting arrest charge from the Oct. 26 incident was not eligible for bail under New York’s soft-on-crime bail policies under the guise of criminal justice “reform.”
“Today’s shooting is another sobering reminder of how members of the NYPD put themselves in danger to keep us all safe,” Bragg continued.
“I am grateful that this detective is expected to make a full recovery and thank him for his continued service to the city,” Bragg said.
Some building residents complained to The Post about conditions in the building.
“People were outside, terrified, because everyone who lived on the sixth floor where the shooting happened were forced outside,” Tamara Velasquez told The Post.
“We have over 30 apartments that are empty, and w,e the tenants have been fighting, not only with management but with the city, because we have crackheads and drug dealers moving into these apartments,” Velasquez said. “You’re putting people in danger.”
Magda Napoleon, a Democratic District leader in the area, said that Rivera doesn’t live at the complex but is a squatter, one of many who have set up there.
“Apparently, this guy didn’t live here–he was just ‘staying’ here,” Napoleon said. “There’s a big quality of life issue here involving squatters, and it seems like everyone has their hands tied on removing these people in a timely fashion.”
