Queens Road Rage Fight Ends With Off-Duty Cop Shot In Leg: NYPD

QUEENS, NY — A road rage fight in Queens saw an off-duty NYPD officer put in a chokehold, beaten and shot in the leg during a scramble for his gun Wednesday afternoon, police said.

The cop is expected to survive and two brothers, ages 32 and 27, were cuffed after the wild fight that broke out near 70th Street and Queens Boulevard about 12:50 p.m., said Jeffrey Maddrey, the NYPD's chief of department.

"They start both fight the officer," Maddrey said. "They're both punching the officer, they're beating on the officer. At one point, they push him up on a car vehicle, they're trying to unholster his weapon and take the weapon from him."

The fight began on a Queens Boulevard service road, where the off-duty cop pulled up next to a white minivan he couldn't immediately get around, Maddrey said.

The off-duty cop and the driver argued briefly and the cop drove off, only to find the minivan driver catching up near 70th Street, police said.

That's when his brother ran up and smashed the cop's back window, Maddrey said.

"The off-duty exited his vehicle, identified himself as a police officer and drew his firearm on the two males," Maddrey said.

The cop told the window-breaker he was under arrest, called 911 and reholstered his gun, Maddrey said. But then one of the brothers came from behind the cop and put him in a chokehold, he said.

"All three of the males go down on the ground, two males on top of our officer, continuing to punch him and kick him," Maddrey said.

"At which point, a round discharged from the (member of service's) weapon."

After the first gunshot, one brother ran off, Maddrey said. The other was found atop the off-duty cop by NYPD officers who arrived, he said.

Detectives still don't know how the gun went off at this point, or a second time during the scuffle, Maddrey said.

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One of the two brothers suffered a gunshot to the hand, in addition to the cop's wound to the left leg, he said.

After the first gunshot, one brother ran off to be arrested later at another hospital, Maddrey said.

The other was found atop the off-duty cop by NYPD officers who arrived, said Maddrey

The arriving officers handcuffed both men, but eventually removed the off-duty cop's cuffs once he was identified, Maddrey said. Both men were taken to the hospital, he said.

"He has a gunshot wound to his left thigh," Maddrey said of the off-duty cop. "It's not life-threatening."