Two NYPD officers and a suspect were wounded in a shootout in Bedford-Stuyvesant early Saturday morning following a brief car chase.
The incident began when two anti-crime unit officers were responding to a report of possible shots fired at 3:20 a.m. near Quincy Street and Malcolm X Boulevard.
As the officers approached the area, authorities say the suspect pointed a revolver at them. The suspect, identified as Jamal Funes, 34, then fled in a vehicle and the officers followed, police say.
The brief chase ended when Funes crashed into a patrol car near Lexington Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard. Police officials say Funes and the officers then exchanged fire, striking two officers. Funes was struck multiple times.
Both officers were taken to Kings County Hospital and are in stable condition. They have been identified as Officers William Reddin and Andrew Yurkiw, with the 81st Precinct.
Officer Yurkiw, a 3-year veteran of the force, was struck in his protective vest. The bullet did not penetrate his vest, but he suffered blunt-force trauma.
Officer Reddin, a 9-year veteran of the force, was struck once below the protective vest, and a bullet entered his right hip.
Police say they are investigating whether the bullets that hit the officers were due to friendly fire.
Both officers have been visited at the hospital by Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton.
Mayor de Blasio says the incident shows how important it is to keep officers well-equipped on the job.
"This incident certainly underscores the importance of the vests that we invest in for our police officers and how we have to keep them safe in every way we can, giving them the best training, the best technology," he says. "These officers pursued their work last night with vigor, with focus and these are very dedicated officers who were out there protecting us."
Authorities say Yurkiw's father, who was also a police officer, similarly survived a gunshot to his bulletproof vest 27 years ago.
Police say Funes was taken to Brookdale Hospital in critical condition. Funes, of New Jersey, has an extensive criminal history, according to officials.
A .357 revolver was recovered from Funes at the scene, investigators say.