6 TIMES • SEPTEMBER 10, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.timesnewsweekly.com Alleged gunman fires at officers, then gets shot in Bushwick BY ROBERT POZARYCKI editorial@ridgewoodtimes.com @robbpoz A Brooklyn man faces multiple attempted murder charges for opening fi re on police offi cers during a foot pursuit in Bushwick early in the morning on Sept. 4, authorities reported. Jerrol Harris, 27, of Brownsville — who is suspected of shooting a 52-yearold man at a Bushwick location earlier that morning — reportedly fi red at two police offi cers who were searching the area in an unmarked car. Neither offi cer was hit, but Harris — while attempting to avoid capture — was shot by police in the left leg; he was hospitalized in stable condition. Police said the trouble began at about 1:10 a.m. on Sept. 4, when members of the 83rd Precinct Anti-Crime Unit responded to a 911 call of a man shot in front of a home on Madison Street near Knickerbocker Avenue. When they arrived, the offi cers — a sergeant and an offi cer in an unmarked vehicle — reportedly found a 52-yearold man with a gunshot wound to his arm. Paramedics brought the man to Elmhurst Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. Based on information they obtained during a preliminary investigation, the offi cers commenced a search of the surrounding area and located Harris, who fi t the shooter’s description, on Jefferson Avenue between Evergreen and Bushwick avenues. Upon spotting the offi cers, authorities said, Harris allegedly pulled out a gun and opened fi re, striking their vehicle multiple times. The offi cers returned fi re, but no one was hit, then engaged the suspect in a foot pursuit. Additional units from the 81st and 83rd precincts were called in to assist with apprehending the perpetrator. Moments later, according to police, an offi cer shot Harris in the left calf on Jefferson Avenue between Bushwick Avenue and Broadway. The weapon that the suspect allegedly used, a .40-caliber Taurus Millennium handgun, was recovered at the scene. Paramedics brought Harris to Kings County Hospital; he was charged on Sept. 5 with four counts each of attempted murder of a police offi cer, reckless endangerment and menacing of a police offi cer, along with a single weapons possession count. Six offi cers — four from the 83rd Precinct and two from the 81st Precinct — were brought to local hospitals for treatment of tinnitus. Photo courtesy of the NYPD The weapon that the suspect allegedly used, a .40-caliber Taurus Millennium handgun, was recovered at the scene. Transit advocates to rally in Elmhurst for improvements BY ANTHONY GIUDICE agiudice@ridgewoodtimes.com @A_GiudiceReport As Select Bus Service (SBS) and bus rapid transit (BRT) routes are scheduled to come to Woodhaven and Cross Bay boulevards, an increasing amount of Queens residents are opposed to the idea of the Department of Transportation (DOT) taking away lanes from drivers and dedicating them for buses. The Queens Public Transit Committee (QPTC) urges the public to join them during their Transportation for Everyone Rally on Sunday, Sept. 13, at the corner of Hoffman Drive, Queens Boulevard and Woodhaven Boulevard in Elmhurst, to fi ght for better and faster transportation. “We are rallying for more transportation, not less transportation,” said Philip McManus, QPTC chair. “People are fed up with our leaders who are making it harder to get around. We are rallying to organize the people to fi ght for more transportation options and protest anti-transportation plans that hurt commuters. Some leaders are trying to divide and conquer commuters, demonize some commuters and reward others.” McManus believes the residents of Queens need “faster and safer transportation for everyone which will create more opportunities for people.” “We need to reduce travel times with reasonable safety precautions to improve our standard of living,” he added. Members of QPTC are looking to public offi cials to answer their questions on why some of their transportation options are being taken away in favor of other transportation options. “Why is it okay to ride a bike, but the city will ticket and slow street traffi c with less travel lanes and slower speed limits? Why is it okay for some people to lose their bus stops? Why is it okay to spend money on bike trails but not railways? Why is it okay to spend $32 billion dollars in Manhattan for railway expansion, but no railway expansion in the outer boroughs?” McManus asked. The QPTC sees several problems with the way transportation is evolving in Queens. “Vision Zero, Select Bus Service and the QueensWay are all linked together in taking away our transportation options including fi ve bus stops, travel lanes, left turns, parking; narrow travel lanes, reasonable speed limits, local bus frequency and the QueensRail,” McManus said. “It will also Increase travel times, congestion and gridlock, pollution, accidents, emergency response times, travel expenses, residential traffi c and Zero Vision enforcement including tickets, arrest, confi scations, and higher insurance rates with speeding and bus lane cameras,” he added. The rally will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. near the southbound Q52 and Q53 bus stop. For more information, visit the QPTC website. Photo courtesy of NYC DOT Residents will rally against Select Bus Service on Sunday, Sept. 13.
RT09102015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above