By Tiffany Williams –
Tuesday night, an NYPD officer was shot by an armed robbery suspect on lifetime parole, who was just arrested six days ago for possession of felony narcotics and resisting arrest. A 26-year-old female bystander was also shot.
The NYPD confirms the suspect was also shot and was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
Joseph Kenny, the Chief of Detectives for the NYPD said at 5.35 p.m., patrol personnel from the 107 precinct responded to a 911 call of a robbery in progress. Kenny confirmed that was a gunpoint robbery inside the Village Market at 164-01 Hillside Avenue in the confines of the 107 precinct.
Kenny said, “Victims told the responding police officers that a male entered the store and announced a robbery. This male demanded money. He threatened the workers with a firearm. He threatened the customers with a firearm. He used a black revolver. During this robbery, one shot was fired. Customers were able to tell officers that this perpetrator fled southbound into the confines of the 103 precinct.”
NYPD officers assigned to the 107 precinct obtained a description of the perpetrator and Kenny said they broadcasted that description over the radio.
At 6.24 p.m., officers assigned to the 103 precinct, Kenny said, were canvassing for the suspect from the robbery that occurred on Hillside Avenue, and while doing so, he says officers were flagged down by a witness who pointed out a male at the corner of Jamaica Avenue and 160th Street. That witness, Kenny said, informed two officers that the male had just robbed a smoke shop located at 92-18 Guy Brewer Boulevard. Kenny said, “He used a firearm, and once again, one shot was fired.”
The officers observed that the male fit the description of the robbery that had taken place on Hillside Avenue, and at 6.30 p.m., at 161 Jamaica Avenue, NYPD Officer Rich Wong and his partner of the 103 precinct, approached the male. Chief Kenny said “They ask him to stop. He does not comply. They ordered him to stay still. He doesn’t comply. Instead, he runs eastbound on Jamaica Avenue away from the officers while producing a firearm. These two officers order him to drop the gun. He does not do so. He fires one shot, striking Police Officer Wong in his thigh.”
Officer Wong returned fire and shot the suspect one time in the face. The suspect has been identified as Gary Worthy, 57, of 168-34 127th Avenue in Queens. He was transported to Jamaica Hospital, and Chief Kenny confirmed that he was pronounced DOA at 7.04 p.m.
Chief Kenny also confirmed that Worthy had 17 prior arrests that include murder, robbery, burglary, and narcotics possession. Chief Kenny confirmed that Worthy is on lifetime parole for firearms possession, and his last arrest was six days ago for possession of felony narcotics and resisting arrest. He was ROR’d on that charge, Chief Kenny said.
Since Worthy has been on lifetime parole, Chief Kenny said he’s been arrested seven other times since 2021.
Worthy was also wanted for three additional gunpoint robberies, Chief Kenny said. Those robberies occurred on Halloween and November 15th. Chief Kenny confirmed that shots were also fired at those robberies.
“We know that he fired his weapon three times during the course of these robberies, the commercial establishments. Luckily, no one was hit. It seems that, like I said preliminarily in our investigation, that he fires the round to frighten the customers and the workers to gain compliance,” said Kenny.
Officer Wong’s injury is a through and through injury. He was taken to Jamaica Hospital for treatment and will survive his injuries.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams visited Officer Wong at the hospital Tuesday night, and he said, “I just visited him, his spirits are high, and his mom was in the room. You could only imagine what that experience is like when you get that call, the knock on the door, and transported here to the hospital, not knowing what you were going to find. She was strong, and she was steadfast, just like so many mothers do when their sons and daughters go out to protect the city.”
The 26-year-old female bystander who was also shot is also at Jamaica Hospital, and she also will survive her injuries. Mayor Adams visited her as well and he stated, “I also visited the innocent bystander, who spoke with her sister, and her older sister said, this is my baby sister, and you could only imagine receiving that call, of having to deal with your sister being shot while just carrying out her shopping on Jamaica Avenue.”
Chief Kenny confirmed that the investigation is being handled by the NYPD’s Force Investigation Unit with the assistance of the NYPD’s Detective Bureau.
“It takes courage to put on the uniform. It takes courage to commit yourself, to ensure safety of New Yorkers, to put your life at risk for others, and to answer the call. The NYPD moved quickly in response to this incident, and I want to thank them,” said Mayor Adams. “No one has a license to commit violence in our city, and I want to assure all New Yorkers that we will pursue justice and continue to work hard to prevent this kind of violence.”
Thomas G. Donlon, the Commissioner of the NYPD, was also at Jamaica Hospital and visited Officer Wong and his mother. Commissioner Donlon said that Officer Wong and his mother were both doing fine.
Donlon also thanked Officer Wong’s partner for his quick action and heroism at the scene and quickly rushing him to Jamaica Hospital.
“It’s only through the grace of God that we’re not having a different conversation right now,” said Donlon, who also extended his sincere gratitude to the doctors and staff at Jamaica Hospital.
“We are truly grateful that our hero brother is on the road to recovery here at Jamaica Hospital. But as police officers, when we come to work every day and we stand in that roll call, we never know what type of job we’re going to respond to. And this police officer didn’t know he was going to end up in this emergency room at Jamaica Hospital,” said Patrick Hendry, President of the NYPD Police Benevolent Association. “He didn’t know when he ran out of the 103 station house when he heard a robbery in progress. He didn’t know he was going to confront a brazen, dangerous, career criminal that didn’t think twice about killing a New York City police officer.”
Officer Wong has been with the NYPD since 2017 and has been assigned to the 103rd precinct in Queens since January 2019.