'I would do it over and over again.' Parkchester man breaks silence after being shot while defending his family
Noyola said the brawl began on Taylor Avenue March 5 when the gunman, who he identified as his sister-in-law's ex-boyfriend, became aggressive during a child exchange. He stepped in when he noticed the suspect had a gun.
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More than a week after 43-year-old Fernando Noyola was shot and seriously injured, the Parkchester man is sharing what loved ones called his heroic story, exclusively with news 12 through Zoom.
Noyola said the brawl began on Taylor Avenue March 5 when the gunman, who he identified as his sister-in-law's ex-boyfriend, became aggressive during a child exchange. He stepped in when he noticed the suspect had a gun.
Police say Noyola was shot three times in the stomach that afternoon. Doctors had to place the father of six under a medically induced coma, operating on him three separate times to keep him alive.
"I don't know if anyone would do what I did," Noyola said. "but I would do it over and over again. Anytime."
Noyola heard the gunfire, but the adrenaline masked the pain of the bullet striking him in the stomach. He knew he was hit, but had to keep pushing.
"Something in my heart said don't stop, because if I stopped, he would have continued," he said. "Whatever inch of power I had in me, I didn't stop."
His son watched in horror as his shirt began to soak in blood. The gunman drove off, but the race to keep Fernando breathing only just began.
"I heard my son screaming, 'Dad you've been shot.' I said, 'Get inside,'" he said.
He collapsed in his son's arms.
"He said, 'Dad, you gonna be OK.' And I'm OK," he said.
Noyola is still recovering in the hospital but says the second he gets out, he's running toward family.
"I'm gonna give all my kids a hug and kiss," he said with a smile. "I miss them all. And while I'm here, they're out there. I just want to make sure it don’t, it don’t happen again."
The NYPD says it is still looking for the person who pulled the trigger.
