3 NYPD Officers Shot in 2 Incidents

Pichardo, left, Kozicki, center, Levay, right

Three New York Police officers were shot, Thursday night, in two separate shootings.

Around 18:30 EST, three robbers entered a used car dealership in the Bronx. One of them was armed and Officer Juan Pichardo, who was working off duty, fought him for the gun.

Despite being shot, in the thigh, Pichardo and a coworker subdued and unarmed the robber. The other two robbers took off running, but were later caught by other officers. Pichardo was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where he is expected to fully recover.

At a Brooklyn subway station, Officers Michael Levay and Lukasz Kozick approached a man acting suspiciously, about 19:30 EST. They had seen him riding between subway cars, which is illegal.

The man pulled out a gun and shot both officers, Kozick three times, as well as a bystander, before Levay shot and killed the gunman. Both officers and the bystander were taken to Lutheran Medical Center, where they are expected to recover fully.

According to police, that gunman had a criminal history in both New York and California. His records include assault, a stabbing, and hopping trains. Witnesses say he seemed to be deliberately aiming low, so as to miss the officer's vests.