NEW YORK – In a tragic case of mistaken identity, police shot and critically wounded an off-duty officer as he pointed a gun at a suspect outside a fast food restaurant early Saturday, authorities said.
Eric Hernandez, 24, was hit three times and was hospitalized in extremely critical condition, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
The officer who pulled the trigger, identified only as a 20-year veteran of the force, was being treated for trauma at another hospital.
Hernandez, who joined the force in 2004, never fired his weapon, authorities said. He was shot in each leg and the abdomen and lost a lot of blood, Bloomberg said.
It was believed to be the NYPD’s first friendly fire shooting since Desmond Robinson, who wasn’t in uniform, was shot in the back by an off-duty officer in 1994.
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