A Pakistani-American police officer, who was shot last week during a suspected robbery in New York City, succumbed to his injuries today, a senior official of the New York Police Department said on Wednesday. The officer, Adeed Fayaz, 26, was admitted to a New York hospital soon after he was attacked by the suspected robber during an alleged mugging attempt.

The police had on Tuesday arrested a suspect, who is a 38-year-old man, and hinted he could face charges. The suspect, Randy Jones, was arrested from a Days Inn hotel 50 miles away from the crime scene, police officials said. Jones was hiding there with his girlfriend and five young children following Saturday night’s botched robbery in Brooklyn.

In a tweet today, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell voiced his grief at the loss, saying “our department deeply mourns his passing, and his family and loved ones are in our prayers”. “Police officer Adeed Fayaz was a father, a husband, a son, and a protector of our great city,” the commissioner added.

Michael Baldassano, assistant chief of the NYPD Detec­tive Bureau, had on Sunday told reporters that the officer, Adeed, was on Ruby Street in East New York on Saturday at around 7pm trying to buy a car he saw listed on Facebook Marketplace. “The arrangements for this purchase were made over a social media platform, and the location was selected. The officer arrived at the location accompanied by a relative,” Baldassano said.

Police said the suspect displayed a gun and demanded money as soon as he saw Adeed. The officer was hit in an exchange of gunfire. Sewell told reporters that suspect Jones was handcuffed by an NYPD detective with the cuffs Fayaz used before he was wounded. “We wanted him to know what he did to that officer and that officer’s cuffs were on him,” NYPD Chief Detective James Essig had told reporters. “I think it sends a powerful message.”

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP