Crime Scene tape.
Photo by Dean Moses
An off-duty NYPD officer opened fire on several suspected catalytic converter thieves in Upper Manhattan on Tuesday morning.
The incident took place around 5:43 a.m. on June 30 near the corner of West 148th Street and Broadway in Hamilton Heights.
Sources familiar with the incident reported that a 31-year-old off-duty cop was inside her car and ready to drive to work when a neighbor approached her. The neighbor told the officer that several people were attempting to steal a catalytic converter from a parked vehicle nearby.
The officer, whose sources said works out of the 40th Precinct in the Bronx, drove to the scene and began recording the three suspects in the act. Police say the group then noticed her recording and approached her vehicle in an attempt to box her.
Sources said one of the group members then appeared to reach into his waistband for a weapon, prompting the officer to draw her own weapon. She reportedly fired one shot, which sent the suspects running; they were last seen heading into a nearby dark-colored BMW that fled the scene.
While three individuals fled, police sources say they believe there may have been at least six people working together in tandem to remove the car part.
It is currently unclear if one of the men was struck by the gunfire. The female officer was not injured.
No arrests have been made, and the investigation remains ongoing.