1 NYPD officer killed, another critically injured in ambush amid crime surge
Former NYPD detective Dr. Oscar Odom joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss the tragedy that unfolded over the weekend.
Detectives from the New York Police Department found a loaded AR-15 assault weapon under the mattress of 47-year-old Lashawn McNeil on Saturday, the day after he allegedly shot and killed Officer Jason Rivera and critically wounded Officer Wilbert Mora.
McNeil is accused of using a .45-caliber stolen Glock to ambush the officers on Friday evening in a Harlem apartment that belonged to his mother, who originally called 911.
A third officer, Sumit Sulan, shot McNeil in the head and arm. The suspect has since died from those injuries, the NYPD confirmed to Fox News.
Detectives found the loaded AR-15 under McNeil's mattress on Saturday as they conducted a search warrant, according to the NYPD.
The NYPD found this loaded AR-15 under Lashawn McNeil's mattress the day after he allegedly shot two officers, leaving one dead and the other critically wounded. (NYPD)
The Glock that was used in Friday evening's shooting was stolen from Baltimore in 2017 and had a high-capacity magazine that could hold up to 40 rounds.
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McNeil was on probation for a 2003 drug conviction in New York and had four other prior arrests in South Carolina and Pennsylvania, according to the NYPD.
Lashawn McNeil died from injuries sustained on Friday after he allegedly ambushed three NYPD officers. (NYPD)
Officer Jason Rivera, a 22-year-old who entered the police academy in 2020, was fatally wounded in the ambush.
His partner, 27-year-old Officer Wilbert Mora, was shot in the head and critically wounded. Mora was transferred from Harlem Hospital to NYU Langone Medical Center on Sunday.
NYPD Officer Jason Rivera, 22, was killed in the line of duty Friday night. (NYPD)
New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a plan on Monday afternoon to stem the gun violence by increasing the number of officers on the streets, working with state and local law enforcement partners, and implementing measures to halt the influx of guns.
"New Yorkers feel as if a sea of violence is engulfing our city, but as your mayor, I promise you I will not let this happen. We will not surrender our city to the violent few," Adams said at City Hall.
Patrick J. Lynch, the president of the Police Benevolent Association of New York City, praised Adams' plan as a good starting point.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a news conference in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
"We need stiffer penalties, consistently imposed, for gun crimes. And we need more resources to relieve the overstretched cops on the front lines," Lynch said in a statement.
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"Mayor Adams is absolutely right that the message on the streets is that there are no consequences for carrying and using illegal guns."
Fox News's Michael Ruiz and Brie Stimson contributed to this report.
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