Two NYPD officers shot dead in Queens by 19-year-old migrant: sources

Metro

By Larry Celona, Joe Marin And Émilie Grue

A 19-year-old Venezuelan migrant shot and killed two police officers early Monday as they tried to stop a motorized scooter, according to police and sources.

Officers attempted to stop the teen, identified as Bernardo Castro Mata, after spotting him driving the wrong way on a street at 89th Street and 23rd Avenue in Elmhurst around 1:40 a.m., police said.

The suspect quickly abandoned the moped and fled on foot for several blocks, police said.

During the chase, the teen allegedly pulled out a gun and shot the officers several times.

One of the officers was shot in the leg while the other was hit in front of his bulletproof vest.

At least one of the fired officers fired and struck the alleged suspect in the ankle.

The teen, who has no criminal history in the Big Apple, is a suspect in several ongoing robbery investigations in Queens, New York Police Commissioner Edward Caban said.

He lives in the migrant shelter at the former Courtyard Marriott hotel near LaGuardia Airport, Caban added.

It's unclear exactly how long he had been in the Big Apple, but law enforcement sources told The Post that he entered the United States through Eagle Pass, Texas, at some point last year.

He was taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Queens for treatment.

The two injured officers were in “good spirits” and both in stable condition after being treated at Elmhurst General Hospital, Caban said.

“It could have happened in a very different way,” the police commissioner said at an early morning news conference.

Pointing to the bullet hole in one of the officers' vests, Mayor Eric Adams praised the two officers.

“With this vest, a young police officer goes home,” Hizzoner said.

“A senseless act of violence. A total disregard for life,” he added, addressing the incident.

“Our officers responded with a certain level of discipline, a level of focus and a level of professionalism. Today we thank God.