NYC councilman demands judge’s resignation for freeing career criminal who later shot cop: ‘Lack of judgment’

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NYC Mayor Adams speaks after officer shot in Queens

A New York Police officer and an innocent bystander were both shot after a suspect who is on lifetime parole allegedly robbed multiple stores on Tuesday.

A New York City councilman says a Queens judge showed a "stunning lack of judgment" when he freed a career criminal who then shot and injured two people, including a police officer, on Tuesday, and then was killed by officers during an exchange of fire.

Democrat Councilman Robert Holden is urging Mayor Eric Adams to demand the resignation of Queens Criminal Court Judge Edward Daniels for freeing 57-year-old Gary Worthy in August without bail for assault and burglary charges, per reporting from the New York Post.

Worthy was already on lifetime parole for firearms possession and more than a dozen priors, including murder, robbery, burglary and narcotics possession, according to the NYPD. 

Adams, a Democrat, appointed Daniels to the bench in April this year.

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Councilman Robert Holden speaks during a Veterans Day breakfast celebration at Gracie Mansion in New York City on Nov. 9, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

"Mayor Adams called Judge Daniels one of the best and brightest and said public safety is a prerequisite to prosperity," Holden said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "Yet Daniels’ decisions have shown a stunning lack of judgment. Denying requests to detain someone with Worthy’s violent record does not reflect the integrity we need in our judges. Mayor Adams must act swiftly to remove the judge he appointed before more violence occurs."

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A spokesperson for the mayor's office said Adams was, like most New Yorkers, "outraged that a dangerous repeat offender was able to roam our streets freely and commit violence against an NYPD officer and an innocent bystander."

"This is a prime example of the criminal justice system failing our city, and while demanding the resignation of a judge is not a power the mayor has, we are hopeful our criminal justice partners will be better collaborators with us in the future," the official said. 

Worthy engaged in a shootout with officers who were responding to reports of armed robberies in Queens on Tuesday, according to authorities.

Gary Worthy held up two local businesses, shooting and injuring a NYPD officer and an innocent bystander. (NYPD)

A pair of officers attempted to approach the man in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, telling him to stop, but the man began to run and fired one shot at an officer, hitting the officer in the thigh, police said. The officer, Rich Wong, fired back, killing Worthy.

Officials said Wong is expected to survive. A 26-year-old woman was also hit in the leg during the shootout but is expected to survive, police said.

Worthy had been arrested less than a week prior for alleged narcotics possession and resisting arrest but was later released from custody. He was also wanted for three other gunpoint robberies this year, police said.

Adams said the handling of Worthy's previous charges marked a failure of the city's criminal justice system.

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"While we are grateful that they will recover, we are also angry that a repeat offender who previously pled guilty to manslaughter and had 7 arrests since 2021 was free to commit two robberies tonight and ultimately shoot two people," Adams wrote on social media.

Fox News Digital’s Christina Shaw and The Associated Press contributed to this report.