Rookie NYPD cop shot in both legs in White Castle parking lot in Brooklyn

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Rookie NYPD cop shot in both legs in White Castle parking lot in Brooklyn: sources Officer James Li, of the 71st Precinct, was wounded in the left leg at the corner of Utica Ave. and Empire Blvd. in Crown Heights after trying to stop a bus fare beater, sources said. Comments (13) By Kerry Burke , Rocco Parascandola , Mark Morales AND Thomas Tracy / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Published: Wednesday, February 26, 2014, 5:23 PM Updated: Wednesday, February 26, 2014, 7:21 PM

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A photo showing a cop shot in the leg three times at Utica Aveue and Empire Blvd in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

 

A rookie police officer was shot in both legs in Brooklyn Wednesday when he and his partner tried to stop a bus fare beater, sources said.

The gunman fired three times in the 5 p.m. confrontation in East Flatbush, hitting Officer James Li twice, once in each leg.

Li and his rookie partner, Officer Randy Chow, returned fire but the suspect fled uninjured.

Todd Maisel/New York Daily News Police officers at the scene in Crown Heights where a cop was shot three times in the leg

As two women tended to Li, who lay bleeding in a White Castle parking lot at Utica Ave. and Empire Blvd., officers gave chase, west on Empire and Lefferts Ave., then south on Schnectady Ave., where the suspect ran down an alley and into a building.

Police arrested him there, and his gun was recovered, police sources said.

 

Li was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where he was visited by Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and Mayor de Blasio.

Todd Maisel/New York Daily News A police officer was shot three times in the leg next to a White Castle on Utica Aveue and Empire Blvd in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

Li, the first NYPD cop shot in the line of duty since July 4th, is expected to recover, sources said.

Witness Jimmy Zitis, 50, who was in the area making a delivery for his glass company, said he heard “a lot of shots -- 15, maybe 20.”

“The cop went down,” Zitis said. “He was...face up and bleeding. He was in a lot of pain. He wasn’t talking too much.”

Google A police officer was wounded in the leg at Utica Ave. and Empire Blvd. in Crown Heights, sources said.

Fortunately for Li, Zitis said, two women rushed to his aid and worked on his wounds.

“They were amazing,’’ he said. “They must have been nurses.”

Li and Chow entered the Police Academy last July and graduated last month. They were on a foot post, as part of Operation Impact, when the shooting occurred.

rparascandola@nydailynews.com

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/shot-times-leg-brooklyn-sources-article-1.1702990#ixzz2uTos9Grr

[TeeLow]

A speedy recovery to the Officer. I hope they put the creep who shot him away for 50 years. With all those bullets flying I'm very happy no one else was injured.

 

When I drove past there yesterday (27th) the police tape was still up completely blocking off both ENY Ave & Empire Blvd on the west side of Utica Ave.. Was wondering how the B12 (in both directions) & B17 continued their routes.