Barricaded suspect accused of wounding cop in Manhattan indicted on attempted murder charges
Prosecutors said Edwin Rivera, 34, nearly killed a cop when he fired through a Lower East Side apartment door after a long, tense standoff with detectives who were trying to execute a search warrant last month.
Cops said Rivera had actually opened fire on cops two separate times during the four-hour lockdown, and wounded a detective when he shot at cops the second time.
Rivera was also wounded during the exchange, and arrested, officials said.
'We have absolutely no tolerance for any conduct that harms police officers, and the charges in this indictment reflect the seriousness with which we are treating this incident,' said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. 'I want to thank the members of the NYPD who put on their uniforms every day to selflessly protect New Yorkers. Their jobs are incredibly dangerous, and I hope the detective who was shot will continue to recover from his injuries. I thank him, and everyone else on the scene that day, for their bravery and commitment to keeping everyone safe.'
According to cops and court records, police were trying to execute a search warrant shortly after 5 a.m. at a sixth-floor apartment at NYCHA's Vladeck Houses on Madison St.
Rivera, a convicted felon with multiple prior arrests for gun possession and narcotics, quickly barricaded himself inside, using a couch to block the entry door, officials said.
A police Emergency Service Unit was looking for guns at the location, cops said.
When cops made their first attempt to get inside, Rivera shot at them, hitting an officer's ballistic shield, police said. No one was hurt that time, and the officers did not return fire.
Cops pulled back and tried to negotiate with him, and even launched a FaceTime session with the suspect until he cut off communication, officials said.
At one point, cops thought a woman was being held hostage in the apartment, but he was in the unit alone.
After they lost contact with Rivera, the officers tried to get in again. That's when he opened fire once more, shooting a cop in the shoulder and getting wounded when they returned fire, according to the indictment.
'The shooting of a uniformed police officer is an attack on our entire city,' said Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch.
'This indictment serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that NYPD police officers face every day while working to keep New York City safe. As their noble work continues, we remain committed to closely collaborating with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to ensure that those who endanger the security of New Yorkers are held fully accountable.'
Rivera was charged with first-degree and second-degree attempted murder, attempted assault, criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Cops said Rivera threw a bag of drugs through his window onto the street.
Rivera was struck in his leg and torso. The officer, a 20-year department veteran, was treated and released.
Tisch called Rivera 'a career criminal' who should not have been out of jail. She said he has been out on parole four times, including for a November arrest for criminal possession of stolen property in which he was charged only with resisting arrest,
'We're grateful for his safety, but we're also angry,' Mayor Adams said at the time. 'We're angry because the shooter is a violent, repeated offender with prior gun arrests, who was on parole for narcotics use and sales,'
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Cuomo should offer him a position as deputy mayor in his administration—a much better result and a goal to rally Republicans behind. Getting Adams and Sliwa out of the race will not be enough. Cuomo, in deep contrast to his primary performance, will have to campaign his heart out, drive a completely different social media presence, demonstrate incredible sensitivity on the affordability issue especially as it relates to housing, showcase the difference between his law enforcement views and Mamdani's, and continue to rally the Jewish community in opposition to Mamdani's anti-Israel, if not antisemitic, views. I recognize clearing the path for Cuomo to take on Mamdani on a one-on-one race is a tall order. However, the future of New York City and the Democratic Party's midterm election prospects rest on it. Let's get serious. Time is running out. To those Cuomo backers with the money to execute this plan: you need to get going. Tom Rogers is executive chairman of Claigrid, Inc. (the cloud AI grid company), an editor-at-large for Newsweek, the founder of CNBC and a CNBC contributor. He also established MSNBC, is the former CEO of TiVo, a member of Keep Our Republic (an organization dedicated to preserving the nation's democracy). He is also a member of the American Bar Association Task Force on Democracy. The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
