Off-Duty NYPD Officer Shot in Head While Asleep in His Car on New Year’s Day

A NYPD police officer was shot in the head while he was asleep in his car, CNN reports.

The off-duty cop had just finished working an 8-hour shift at a New Year’s Eve event in Central Park until 2:30 a.m., and was scheduled to work again at 7 a.m., when he was struck by a bullet while parked in a lot at a Manhattan police precinct. He chose to sleep in his vehicle because there weren’t any vacant beds in the NYPD dormitories.

The officer, who survived the attack, woke up at 6:15 a.m. to a bloody temple and a shattered window and was subsequently helped by a fellow officer. He was then transferred to a hospital where the bullet fragments were removed in surgery. He suffered a fractured skull but is now in stable condition

“We are grateful that our officer is recovering, as we know this could have been a very tragic outcome,” NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said in a statement. “I also truly believe this incident underscores that there are far too many guns out there in the wrong hands and too many people willing to fire those weapons, and that is something we intend to tackle head-on.”

It’s unclear why or who shot the officer, or if the officer was wearing his police uniform. “It appears that the bullet was fired from a significant distance away,” Sewell added. “It’s hard to tell who the intended target was, if any.” A $10,000 reward will be issued to anyone who has information that will help apprehend the suspect who fired the weapon.

New York City’s new mayor, Eric Adams, visited the officer in the hospital. “That bullet could have struck any person or individual that was walking through the streets,” he said. “And I am clear on my mission to aggressively go after those who are carrying violent weapons in our city.”

The officer is a 7-year veteran of the NYPD and has two children. His identity remains unknown.