On November 19th in New York City’s Queens borough, Chinese-American police officer Rich Wong was shot in the leg during a shootout with robbers in the evening. Fortunately, after being taken to the hospital, he was not seriously injured and was discharged smoothly on the morning of November 20th.
A video released by the New York City Police Benevolent Association (NYC PBA) shows officers from the NYPD lining up in traditional fashion to applaud the safe discharge of Officer Rich Wong from the 103rd precinct of the police department. Wong was seen in a wheelchair, leaving the hospital accompanied by his girlfriend, family, and healthcare personnel.
Witnessing the warm welcome from his colleagues, Wong smiled shyly, waving to his fellow officers while also giving a thumbs-up as a sign of approval and gratitude.
The police union expressed in a post that while they were touched by Wong’s safe departure from Jamaica Hospital that day, they hoped he would not have to endure such incidents again.
“Our justice system continues to disappoint New Yorkers, and this system needs common-sense reform, which must be done immediately,” the post read.
On the evening of the 19th, Wong and his colleagues responded to a call about an armed robbery and exchanged gunfire with the African-American male robber, Gary Werthy, in Jamaica. During the incident, Wong and a 26-year-old innocent woman on the street were shot, while Werthy was fatally shot by Wong and pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital. Both Wong and the civilians suffered minor injuries after being treated.
Authorities revealed that the 57-year-old Werthy had a criminal record with seven previous arrests that made him a professional criminal. In addition, Werthy had 17 criminal charges including murder, robbery, burglary, and drug possession. Werthy was also under lifetime protection and supervision due to his possession of firearms.
On the night of the police-offender confrontation, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, high-ranking officials from the NYPD, and the police union president, Patrick Hendry, were present at Jamaica Hospital for a press conference.
Police union president Hendry criticized the criminal justice system in New York City for being in a state of collapse and urged immediate change.