An off-duty NYPD officer is in stable condition after being shot in the head while sleeping in his car Saturday in East Harlem on New Year's Day, and he is expected to make a full recovery, according to reports.
The officer was only identified as "Keith," a father of two and a seven-year NYPD veteran, who was sleeping in his personal car between shifts when he was struck in the temple by a bullet that traveled through the rear window of his car, according to police.
NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell noted in a news conference Keith woke up with pain in the left side of his head and the window shattered. He was treated at the scene by a fellow police officer.
Police believe the bullet was fired "from a significant distance away," Sewell added.
"It's hard to tell who the intended target was," she said.
The NYPD is offering $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the unknown shooter.
Mayor Eric Adams said he will "aggressively go after those who are carrying violent weapons in our city."
"We must not only find the gun, but we must find the person who discharged the weapon and find the people who believe they are going to destroy our city with gun and gang violence," Adams continued, saying he was "happy" Keith will be OK, but "angry" about the shooting.
"As I looked at Crystal, his wife, I knew that this could have turned out differently," Adams said. "I knew that a bullet, when it strikes an individual, it does not stop its path. It continues to rip apart the anatomy of a family and a community."
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