A Pakistani-American New York Police officer, Adeed Fayaz, who was shot last week during a suspected car-sale scam, died on Tuesday afternoon, told a senior official of the New York Police Department (NYPD) on Wednesday.
The 26-year-old officer, and the father of two, was promptly admitted to a New York hospital on Saturday night, soon after getting attacked by the suspected robber during the reported mugging attempt.
NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell expressed his grief at the loss in a recent tweet, saying “our department deeply mourns his passing, and his family and loved ones are in our prayers”.
Pakistan Consulate General New York also expressed condolences to the bereaved family of Adeed Fayaz.
Suspect arrested
The 38-year-old suspect, Randy Jones was arrested by the Police on Tuesday from a Days Inn hotel where he was hiding with his girlfriend and five young children after Saturday night’s messed up robbery in Brooklyn, according to the police. The hotel is located 50 miles away from the crime scene.
How it happened
Fayaz was attacked by Jones on a secluded street in East New York where he was lured by the suspect with the promise of a new car for sale. According to officials, Jones placed Fayaz in a headlock before shooting him. The off-duty officer was accompanied by his brother-in-law at the time of the incident. During the shooting, the brother-in-law attempted to defend Fayaz by retrieving his gun from his holster but unfortunately missed the shooter as they fled the scene.
On Tuesday evening, over 300 officers stood in salute as Fayaz’s body was taken from the hospital.
His wife held their children as his body, covered in an NYPD flag, was loaded into an ambulance waiting outside.
“Imagine their father never coming home again — they’ll never be okay from this,” Pat Lynch, president of the NYC Police Benevolent Association, remarked outside the hospital. “It’s our job to help them remember, and New York City police officers will make sure he’s remembered.”
An officer who graduated from the Police Academy with Fayaz said, “No one has one bad thing to say about him. He’s a great person.”
