NYPD officer and woman shot in Queens by armed robbery suspect

A dangerous robbery suspect in Queens shot an NYPD officer and a woman during a series of crimes on Tuesday evening. The man was later killed in a shootout with police. Here's what happened:

At around 5:30 p.m., officers got a 911 call about a robbery happening at a deli on Hillside Avenue near 164th Street in Jamaica. A man entered the deli with a black revolver, threatening the workers and customers. The suspect fired a shot and then quickly ran away.

The police immediately started searching for the suspect. A witness saw the man on Jamaica Avenue and flagged down the officers. The witness told police that the man had just robbed a smoke shop on Guy Brewer Boulevard, and he had fired a shot during that robbery too.

The officers kept looking for the suspect. At around 6:30 p.m., about an hour after the first robbery, two officers in uniform saw a man who matched the description of the suspect. They asked him to stop, but the man ran and pulled out a gun.

The police ordered him to drop the weapon, but instead, the suspect fired a shot. One of the officers, Rich Wong, was hit in the thigh. Officer Wong then returned fire, striking the suspect in the face. The suspect, later identified as 57-year-old Gary Worthy, was rushed to Jamaica Hospital but was declared dead shortly after 7 p.m.

Officer Wong, a seven-year veteran of the NYPD, was taken to the hospital for his injury. Thankfully, he is expected to make a full recovery.

During the chaos, a 26-year-old woman who was shopping in the area was also shot in the leg. She was not seriously hurt and is expected to recover soon. It was not clear if the woman was hit by the suspect or by police gunfire during the exchange.

Mayor Eric Adams called the suspect, Gary Worthy, “reckless” and said he showed a complete disregard for human life.

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny shared that Worthy had a long history of crime. He had been arrested 17 times before for serious charges, including murder, robbery, and drug possession. Worthy had been released from prison on lifetime parole. Just six days before Tuesday's shooting, he was arrested for drug possession and resisting arrest. However, he was released after that arrest.

Police also learned that Worthy was wanted for other robberies at gunpoint. He was linked to three other robberies that happened earlier this year, including one on Halloween. During those robberies, shots were also fired.