A police officer was shot and injured during a scuffle with an emotionally disturbed person at Harlem Hospital early this morning, police sources said.
Veteran officers Fausto Gomez and John Chiodi were escorting the handcuffed suspect, identified as Guiteau Idore, 42, into the hospital at around 5:30 a.m. when he somehow managed to get control of Chiodi’s gun, according to Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, who spoke at a press conference at the hospital.
The suspect fired, hitting Gomez, 40, once in the left foot.
Gomez, a seven year NYPD veteran, was treated for minor injuries at the hospital and released.
Gomez and Chiodi, 42, were initially responding to a call of an assault in progress at 4:55 a.m. at 117th St. and Lenox Ave., where Idore is believed to have been the attacker, Kelly said.
Idore was cuffed and taken to Harlem Hospital for a psych evaluation, officials said. Once there, the suspect tried to flee the ambulance before being grabbed by Gomez and Chiode.
“The individual began to struggle again, and managed to remove officer Chiodi's service weapon and fired that weapon two times, striking officer Gomez one time in the left foot," Kell said.
That’s when EMT Brandon Hernandez ran over and disarmed Idore. Kelly said Hernandez has aspirations of joining the force, and said he would review the EMT’s eligibility.
“He did an outstanding job. We understand that EMT Hernandez has aspirations of becoming a New York police officer, and he certainly demonstrated he has what it takes to do the job."
Republished with permission of The New York Post.
