The NYPD said they arrested some 16 people with firearms during and after the Bronx Dominican parade Sunday, including a teen carrying a loaded assault rifle.
NYPD
Bronx cops arrested 16 people on Sunday for allegedly toting firearms during and after the borough’s Dominican Day Parade, including a teen caught with a loaded assault rifle, in the wake of the weekend’s horrific shooting that left a 12-year-old boy dead.
According to police sources, officers made the arrests within the confines of the 44th Precinct and removed 16 guns from the streets. However, sources report that the most disturbing arrests of all came late in the night when a teen was cuffed holding a loaded assault rifle.
Body camera footage shows cops tackle the 19-year-old who was spotted with the weapon along Tudor Place and Walton Avenue in Concourse at around 9:17 p.m. on July 27. When officers approached the suspect, he attempted to flee but was stopped and taken to the ground. Cops then pulled the massive gun from a black bag he carried.
The gunman has been identified as Maleek Drakeford of New Jersey; he has been charged with four counts of criminal possession of a weapon. The rifle itself was defaced, making it difficult to track. His intentions with the weapon are not clear.
The NYPD said they arrested some 16 people with firearms during and after the Bronx Dominican parade Sunday, including a teen carrying a loaded assault rifle.NYPD
Throughout Sunday, police said they recovered 15 other guns, including a revolver and other loaded handguns. This came the same day police arrested 33-year-old William Ferrer for the fatal shooting of 12-year-old Jacob Freytes, the son of a retired NYPD Lieutenant.
Ferrer allegedly opened fire into a packed street as two men brawled, striking the boy in the shoulder. Surveillance video shows Freytes clutching his shoulder and fleeing into a nearby deli, where he collapsed.
“No arrest can ever ease the pain of this unimaginable loss, and the NYPD remains focused on taking guns off our streets and holding those who commit violence accountable,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement.
According to the NYPD, overall murder is down in the Bronx by 13.5%, and down by over 30% in the confines of 44th Precinct. However, in the nearby 46th Precinct, murder is up by a whopping 200%.
“Ferrer, a 45-year-old male from the Bronx, was apprehended outside of his home this morning. He is being charged with Murder in the Second Degree, Manslaughter in the First Degree, Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, Assault in the Second Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree.
No arrest can ever ease the pain of this unimaginable loss, but the NYPD will continue to do everything in our power to seek justice for Jacob,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said.Photo by Dean Moses