Attorney General Investigates NYPD Officer Shootout In Woodside

WOODSIDE, QUEENS — A shootout in Woodside between an off-duty NYPD lieutenant and three people, which left one person dead, is being investigated by the Attorney General's office.

Around 3:15 a.m. on Dec. 16th police received a call that an off-duty NYPD lieutenant was shot on the corner of 57th Street and Northern Boulevard, near La Boom nightclub. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea later said that the shootout, which he believes was an armed robbery, left one person dead and the lieutenant in "critical but stable" condition.

Now, the Attorney General's Office of Special Investigations is looking into the case, as it does with every incident where a police officer may have caused the death of a person, either intentionally or by accident.

A brief report of the incident from the office confirms that the dead person and the off-duty NYPD lieutenant "exchanged gunfire" on Dec. 16th and were both injured as a result — noting that the civilian died and the NYPD member is in stable condition. It does not mention anything about an armed robbery.

If the office determines that the officer caused the death, they will continue with a full investigation of the incident.