Man who shot, wounded NYPD detective in Brooklyn was aiming at romantic rival: police

Elizabeth Keogh, Rocco Parascandola, Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News
·1 min read
5

The gunman who fired a shot that hit an NYPD detective in a marked car in Brooklyn last month was aiming for a romantic rival, police said Thursday.

Police identified the shooter as Jah-Mike Woolridge, 27, who lives steps from the scene of the shooting — and was busted for criminal possession of a weapon in 2011.

Woolridge was allegedly firing at another man he was feuding with over a woman at around 4:30 p.m. on June 23 — just as Detective Sunjay Verma was driving with his partner through the crossfire on Pitkin Ave. at Legion St. in Brownsville.

At least nine shots were fired — with one bullet shattering the cruiser’s driver-side window. Police believe Verma‘s arm was grazed by the broken glass, sources said at the time.

The 9-mm. pistol Woolridge allegedly used to fire off the shots was recovered in a courtyard nearby. It was purchased 16 days before in South Carolina, cops said. Police are trying to determine if Woolridge bought the weapon.

Wooldridge, meanwhile, remains on the loose.

Sources said a bullet-resistant panel had been removed from the patrol car Verma was driving, allowing the bullet to pierce it. Police were looking into who removed the panel and why, sources said.

There have been departmental complaints the panels weaken ventilation on hot days. It’s possible an officer could be disciplined for removing the panel, which violates department policy, sources said.