【Epoch Times News on February 19, 2025】During a search warrant operation related to illegal gun possession in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, a veteran detective of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) was shot and injured, fortunately without any life-threatening injuries. The incident took place inside an apartment building in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and the standoff eventually ended with the suspect being shot by the police. The suspect is a career criminal with multiple prior convictions related to firearms and drug crimes.
According to the statement made by New York City Mayor Eric Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch at a press conference, the incident occurred at the Vlad Government Building in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. A detective from the Emergency Service Unit (ESU) was shot in the left shoulder while executing the search warrant for firearms at the suspect’s residence. The injured detective was immediately taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment, and is currently in stable condition, expected to make a full recovery.
Commissioner Tisch stated that at 5:09 a.m. that day, based on information provided by the NYPD’s Fourth Precinct Housing Bureau (PSA4), they obtained a search warrant to enter the apartment for the mission. Upon entering, the suspect opened fire, discharging 5 to 6 rounds of bullets, with one hitting the police’s ballistic shield. The officers did not return fire at that moment, but withdrew to the corridor and attempted to communicate with the suspect through the negotiation team.
During the negotiation, the police contacted the suspect and his family via FaceTime in an attempt to de-escalate the standoff. However, the suspect later cut off communication and barricaded the door with a sofa. At 8:18 a.m., the police tried to move the sofa blocking the door, and the suspect once again opened fire, with a bullet hitting the left shoulder of a detective, narrowly missing vital blood vessels and nerves.
Subsequently, the police returned fire, injuring the suspect. The suspect is currently being treated at Bellevue Hospital and is not in life-threatening condition.
The authorities confirmed that the suspect is 35-year-old Edwin Rivera, a “career criminal” with a history of multiple firearms and drug-related crimes. He has been on parole four times and is currently still on parole. Tisch mentioned that this is not the first time he has been arrested during his parole, as he was arrested on November 6 last year for possession of stolen property and resisting arrest, but Manhattan prosecutors only charged him with resisting arrest, leading to his release the next day.
Mayor Adams emphasized that this suspect should not have been on the streets, let alone have the opportunity to shoot at police officers. Tisch further questioned, “Why is a repeat offender with multiple violent crime records allowed to carry a firearm and fire at law enforcement officers while on parole? What is wrong with our justice system?” They raised concerns about the leniency of the judicial system towards repeat offenders and called on state and local prosecutors to review system loopholes to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
Scott Munro, the chairman of the Detective Endowment Association (DEA) of New York City, emphasized that this shooting incident once again highlights the dangers faced by officers on duty. He urged the public to support the police and expressed concern and well wishes to the injured detective.
New York State Assembly Members Grace Lee, State Senator Brian Kavanagh, and City Councilman Christopher Marte also issued statements regarding the incident, offering condolences to the injured officers and praising the professionalism of the NYPD in handling high-risk situations.