Tough Questions for 52nd Pct.’s New Commanding Officer

Officer Injured in Norwood Pellet-Gun Shooting

By David Greene

BRONX, NEW YORK, OCTOBER 30- An early morning pellet-gun shooting has left one police officer with a minor hand injury and a suspect was injured climbing over a fence-- after an early morning incident on Rochambu Avenue in Norwood.

According to Deputy Inspector Joseph Dowling, the officer was shot in the hand by a pellet-gun as the officer struggled with a suspect that took place in the rear courtyard of 3133 Rocambeau Avenue at sometime after 4 a.m. on October 25.

A small army of police as well as tactical units converged on the area and at least one suspect, possibly two are currently in police custody.

The 52^nd Precinct, which has seen a noticeable up tick in crime and violent incidents such as this shooting, is currently in a transition as Deputy Inspector Nilda Hoffman was recently named commanding officer of the precinct that covers Norwood, Bedford Park and Fordham.

Dowling was on scene of this shooting and also attended that morning's Annual 52^ndPrecinct Community Council Breakfast.

At about the same time, Hoffman was at 1 Police Plaza where she attended a ceremony where she was promoted to Inspector, apparently one of the perks that come with her new command.

Ironically, the breakfast was held at Monroe College on Jerome Avenue, 2 short blocks from where a popular 17-year-old Walton High School student was shot to death the previous Wednesday evening.

At the breakfast, Dowling stated, "This morning's incident, the officers were investigating some individuals, they were alerted to the fact that one of the individuals was in possession of a firearm. They stopped two individuals as he went to stop one of them,  he drew a firearm from his person."

Dowling continued,"One of the officers felt the danger with him pulling out what appeared to him to be a gun... he discharged one round and did not strike the perpetrator or any innocent victims."

Police say the suspect was carrying a pellet-gun that looked like a real, "Desert Eagle," handgun. Sources say that officer suffered a minor hand injury and is believed to have been transported to North Central Bronx Hospital. The still-unidentified suspect suffered a leg in jury as he scaled a fence, he was treated at Montefiore Hospital.