On the evening of August 17th, two armed robbers riding a motorcycle through Washington Heights in Manhattan encountered an off-duty police officer. One of the robbers brandished a gun, prompting the officer to open fire, fatally shooting one of them while the other managed to escape. This incident marked the third shooting involving law enforcement within a span of five days. According to police sources, the individual shot was an illegal immigrant who had committed three armed robbery incidents within a few minutes leading up to the encounter.
The incident took place around 9:45 pm at the intersection of West 173rd Street and Amsterdam Avenue. Deputy Commanding Officer Eric Pagan of the Manhattan North District Command Center stated that the off-duty officer was standing outside a residential building when two men approached on a motorbike. One of them dismounted and inquired about a specific individual before pulling out a firearm and aiming it at the officer.
Upon seeing this, the officer immediately drew his weapon and fired several shots, hitting the robber in the chest. The other robber fled on the motorcycle and is currently at large. Police recovered a loaded 9mm handgun at the scene and performed CPR on the wounded individual before rushing him to Harlem Hospital for emergency treatment, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The deceased individual was identified as Lahione Soto, a 30-year-old man from the Dominican Republic who illegally crossed into the United States from Texas in June of last year. Along with his accomplice, Soto had committed three armed robbery incidents, targeting a total of four victims including a married couple, in the 13 minutes leading up to the confrontation with the off-duty officer. The duo had violently seized jewelry and a motorcycle from their victims before targeting the officer.
Police reports indicated that Soto was found with some of the stolen jewelry on him at the time of his death.
This incident marks the third shooting involving the NYPD within a five-day period. On August 12th, a 22-year-old man firing a gun on the streets of Brooklyn was wounded by police; on August 15th, an off-duty officer on Staten Island fatally shot a man wielding a replica firearm, later identified as 44-year-old Jesse Campbell with a criminal record.
Authorities stated that there is surveillance footage corroborating the Staten Island incident, indicating that officers had attempted to persuade the individual to disarm to no avail.
Both incidents involving off-duty officers firing their weapons are currently under review by the department’s Internal Affairs Bureau.
Police are urging anyone with information on the whereabouts of the fleeing suspect to come forward. The accomplice is reported to be wearing a black GAP hoodie and fled the scene on an electric motorcycle. Any tips can be reported to the Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-577-8477, with all sources guaranteed confidentiality.