According to Fox News, Spraggins was convicted of attempted murder for opening fire on Officer Brett Boller in April 2023 as he responded to a reported altercation aboard an MTA bus. Boller was struck in the leg by one of the gunshots.
As reported by The Daily News, the New York Assistant District Attorney said Spraggins fled from Boller and his partner when a bus driver flagged them down to intercede in the suspect’s harassment of another rider. He fled to the streets where Boller overtook him. The two struggled and Spraggins pulled a gun shooting Boller in the hip.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry described the suspect as a dangerous man. He told the outlet, “He didn’t think twice about carrying a loaded firearm on the streets of Jamaica, Queens.”
Hendry said. “He didn’t think twice about terrorizing people on a New York City bus. He didn’t think twice about shooting a New York City police officer in full uniform in broad daylight. This individual altered a police officer’s life forever.”
Assistant District Attorney Kanella Georgopoulos described the attack in detail to the court saying, "This defendant stood over Detective Boller's defenseless body on the ground and tried to execute him by attempting to shoot him a second time.”
Judge Holder revealed the aggravating factors of his sentencing when he told Spraggins and the courtroom "For me, the defining moment in this case was not that you shot Police Officer Boller in the leg. It’s that you, not knowing the magazine had fallen out of the gun and while watching Police Officer Boller on the ground screaming in pain, you pointed your gun at him and you pulled the trigger."
Holder continued, "You effectively tried to execute him."
The judge pointed out incredulously that were Spraggins in danger, Officer Spraggins would have risked his life for him. "And here’s the irony. That day and any other day, Police Officer Boller and Police Officer Rock would have risked their lives to save any of your four sisters, your brother, even you."
The Glendale Arizona Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 12 shared chilling bodycam footage of the shooting to X that shows Spraggins attempt to shoot the fallen Officer "execution style," not realizing he had ejected the weapon’s magazine.Devin Spraggins, in April of last year, shot and wounded NYPD Officer Brett Boller.
— Glendale Arizona FOP Lodge 12 (@GlendaleFOP12) December 3, 2024
Today, Spraggins was sentenced to 39 to life. pic.twitter.com/82poVITxa1
