held off a gunman who wounded his Sgt. great job!!!!
2 COPS SHOT
Uptown suspect leaps out 14th-floor window
This story was reported by: ALISON GENDAR, KERRY BURKE,
JONATHAN LEMIRE, CARRIE MELAGO, DEREK ROSE, TONY SCLAFANI,
NICK McDONELL and TRACY CONNOR
It was written by: TRACY CONNOR
Shell casings litter the ground in front of 1980 Park Ave.
Patrick O'Boyle
Erik Hansen
Tyrell Harris
Guns allegedly belonging to shooting suspect Tyrell Harris.
A crazed gunslinger wounded two cops yesterday during a wild shoot-'em-up at a Manhattan housing project that ended when the suspect plunged out of a 14th-floor window, police said.
Amazingly, neither cop was seriously injured and no bystanders were hurt in the gun battle, which began when parolee Tyrell Harris stalked through the Lincoln Houses courtyard with two pistols blazing, police said.
"The guy had two guns and looked like he didn't care," said witness Davey Mendez, 38. "He was waving them around, acting all bad-***."
NYPD Sgt. Patrick O'Boyle, 43, who was in stable condition at Harlem Hospital last night, phoned his brave partner, Officer Erik Hansen, 32, before he was released from New York-Presbyterian Hospital. "Thank him for saving my life," he said.
"The officers were extremely lucky," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. "Harris had two fully functioning weapons. We know he fired at least 13 rounds."
Harris, 21, was in critical condition with a skull fracture at St. Luke's Hospital, and charges were pending.
The suspect - who has a violent record and has been out of prison for only six months - called his mother before leaping from a relative's apartment, where he fled after the shootout.
He said he was firing at a man who had shot at him on Sunday night when the cops showed up yesterday.
"He called to tell me he loved me," said his mom, Andrea Harris, 38. "Then he jumped."
The gunfight began about 2:30 p.m. when Harris allegedly opened fire on Fifth Ave. at 134th St. He strolled through the courtyard with a gun in each hand, witnesses said.
"He was taking his time, just walking and shooting," witness Paula Edwards, 52, said. "He must have had a death wish."
When Harris hit Madison Ave., the cops jumped out of their unmarked car and chased him - dodging bullets.
The bustling housing complex quickly became a shooting gallery, with terrified children ducking for cover on playgrounds as gunfire crackled around them.
"My kid came running, saying, 'Mommy! Mommy! They're shooting!'" a mother said.
With cops in pursuit, bullets flew outside 1980 Park Ave., where Hansen emptied his two 9-mm. guns and an extra clip to protect his wounded partner.
"He saved the sergeant's life," said Richard Diana, of the police union. "When the sergeant went down, the perp advanced on him and Hansen came up and started unloading.
"He did a hell of a job," Diana said. "The perp would have killed [O'Boyle] if Hansen hadn't unleashed."
O'Boyle, a 10-year veteran, was hit by bullet fragments in the head, pelvis and leg. Hansen, who fired 22 rounds, was grazed in the ankle.
After emptying both guns, Harris threw down his firearms, cops said. "I'm out!" he said before laying down as though he was surrendering. "That's it - you got me."
But as the cops got closer, Harris bolted up, ran into the building and let himself into a relative's home, cops said.
He called his mom and another person, tossed his cell phones out the window and jumped at least 100 feet, police said.
Harris, who has arrests for armed robbery and attempted murder on his rap sheet, was paroled in January after serving nearly three years on a gun bust.
Just four days ago, he went to Harlem Hospital with a graze wound to the head. He refused to cooperate with detectives, but the incident appeared to be at the root of yesterday's mayhem.
"He was shooting at a guy who shot him before," family friend Jose Martinez said. "The police rolled up and saw him shooting. Otherwise, he might have got away."
At Hansen's home, his father said he was proud of his son, but not surprised by his bravery.
"My son is one of these guys to go into action as opposed to running from it," he said. "He's the kind of person when the chips are down, he's there."
2 COPS SHOT
Uptown suspect leaps out 14th-floor window
This story was reported by: ALISON GENDAR, KERRY BURKE,
JONATHAN LEMIRE, CARRIE MELAGO, DEREK ROSE, TONY SCLAFANI,
NICK McDONELL and TRACY CONNOR
It was written by: TRACY CONNOR
Shell casings litter the ground in front of 1980 Park Ave.
Patrick O'Boyle
Erik Hansen
Tyrell Harris
Guns allegedly belonging to shooting suspect Tyrell Harris.
A crazed gunslinger wounded two cops yesterday during a wild shoot-'em-up at a Manhattan housing project that ended when the suspect plunged out of a 14th-floor window, police said.
Amazingly, neither cop was seriously injured and no bystanders were hurt in the gun battle, which began when parolee Tyrell Harris stalked through the Lincoln Houses courtyard with two pistols blazing, police said.
"The guy had two guns and looked like he didn't care," said witness Davey Mendez, 38. "He was waving them around, acting all bad-***."
NYPD Sgt. Patrick O'Boyle, 43, who was in stable condition at Harlem Hospital last night, phoned his brave partner, Officer Erik Hansen, 32, before he was released from New York-Presbyterian Hospital. "Thank him for saving my life," he said.
"The officers were extremely lucky," Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. "Harris had two fully functioning weapons. We know he fired at least 13 rounds."
Harris, 21, was in critical condition with a skull fracture at St. Luke's Hospital, and charges were pending.
The suspect - who has a violent record and has been out of prison for only six months - called his mother before leaping from a relative's apartment, where he fled after the shootout.
He said he was firing at a man who had shot at him on Sunday night when the cops showed up yesterday.
"He called to tell me he loved me," said his mom, Andrea Harris, 38. "Then he jumped."
The gunfight began about 2:30 p.m. when Harris allegedly opened fire on Fifth Ave. at 134th St. He strolled through the courtyard with a gun in each hand, witnesses said.
"He was taking his time, just walking and shooting," witness Paula Edwards, 52, said. "He must have had a death wish."
When Harris hit Madison Ave., the cops jumped out of their unmarked car and chased him - dodging bullets.
The bustling housing complex quickly became a shooting gallery, with terrified children ducking for cover on playgrounds as gunfire crackled around them.
"My kid came running, saying, 'Mommy! Mommy! They're shooting!'" a mother said.
With cops in pursuit, bullets flew outside 1980 Park Ave., where Hansen emptied his two 9-mm. guns and an extra clip to protect his wounded partner.
"He saved the sergeant's life," said Richard Diana, of the police union. "When the sergeant went down, the perp advanced on him and Hansen came up and started unloading.
"He did a hell of a job," Diana said. "The perp would have killed [O'Boyle] if Hansen hadn't unleashed."
O'Boyle, a 10-year veteran, was hit by bullet fragments in the head, pelvis and leg. Hansen, who fired 22 rounds, was grazed in the ankle.
After emptying both guns, Harris threw down his firearms, cops said. "I'm out!" he said before laying down as though he was surrendering. "That's it - you got me."
But as the cops got closer, Harris bolted up, ran into the building and let himself into a relative's home, cops said.
He called his mom and another person, tossed his cell phones out the window and jumped at least 100 feet, police said.
Harris, who has arrests for armed robbery and attempted murder on his rap sheet, was paroled in January after serving nearly three years on a gun bust.
Just four days ago, he went to Harlem Hospital with a graze wound to the head. He refused to cooperate with detectives, but the incident appeared to be at the root of yesterday's mayhem.
"He was shooting at a guy who shot him before," family friend Jose Martinez said. "The police rolled up and saw him shooting. Otherwise, he might have got away."
At Hansen's home, his father said he was proud of his son, but not surprised by his bravery.
"My son is one of these guys to go into action as opposed to running from it," he said. "He's the kind of person when the chips are down, he's there."
Comment