Officer-Involved Shooting in Astoria

A domestic dispute led to police shooting a 27-year-old Astoria man who was reportedly wielding a machete.

Officers from the 114th precinct responded to a 911 call at 9:48 a.m. at 31-63 33rd Street on the report of an emotionally-disturbed person armed with a weapon.

The 911 caller, later identified as Brianna Cortez, relayed to officers that the man had taken “a lot of pills” and was saying that he “wanted to die.”

Police say that the 27-year-old suspect, Eduardo Andrade, confronted officers in the apartment hallway while holding the 911 caller’s mother. Together, Cortez and Andrade have a three-year-old child, who reportedly witnessed the scene.

Chief of Department Kenneth Corey briefed the media later Monday morning, where he described the confrontation officers had with the suspect and preliminary information about the case.

“After getting the mother out of the apartment, the officers deployed a taser,” Corey said. “The taser had no effect.”

That’s when, police say, one officer discharged “approximately three rounds,” striking the man in his groin.

The 27-year-old suspect was transported to Elmhurst Medical Center, where he underwent surgery and is expected to recover.

Two of the four responding officers underwent medical evaluations, but did not sustain any serious injuries.

Corey went on to say that there is a “rather extensive domestic history” between Cortez and Andrade, which includes multiple allegations of domestic assault, harassment and violations of protection orders.

In a video circulating on social media, Cortez is at the scene yelling that she called the police over an argument.

“They didn’t ask questions,” Cortez can be heard saying. “They dragged my 53-year-old mother to the floor, ripped her shirt off, and then shot my son’s father twice in front of him.”

She continued, “This is why you don’t call the NYPD for help. They will shoot you and blame your family.”

Police relayed that the responding officers had body cameras on their person and they were activated at the scene. Those videos are currently being reviewed by the police department.

Video:
https://twitter.com/SamiLiebman/status/1513552253910765572?s=20&t=R3Rf4w7k7KHIlxqBwDUqXA

Oakland Gardens pols, community responds to shooting

Community leaders and elected officials in Oakland Gardens rallied on Monday after a 16-year-old student was shot last week at the intersection of Springfield Boulevard and the Horace Harding Expressway, calling for a coordinated response to address public safety concerns.

Shots were fired just two blocks away from the Benjamin N. Cardozo High School on Friday afternoon. According to The New York Post, reports of the incident prompted a school lockdown as the teenager was transported to a local hospital and is reportedly in stable condition.

“The last thing any parent wants to hear is that there was a shooting down the street from their kids’ school. My kids’ school is just down the road, and we do most of our shopping right here,” New York City Councilwoman Linda Lee said in a release. “ What happened on Friday is as tragic as it is frightening because if any student thinks it’s necessary to use a gun on someone else, we’ve failed them as a City. We’re here today to call for a coordinated response between parents, teachers, community leaders, school, police, and elected officials to get guns off the street, keep kids in school and out of trouble, and invest in their futures so they know there are alternatives to violence out there.”

Lee was joined by Congresswoman Grace Meng, Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Benjamin N. Cardozo High School PTA members and parents, and local business owners to call for an increase in the number of school safety agents, school counselors, and social workers at Cardozo High School, more officers for the 111th Precinct, and closer coordination between the school, precinct, and local business owners.

“It saddens me as a mother, life-long Queens resident, and as the Member of Congress representing this area to see yet another shooting in our Queens community, and this most recent incident being so close to one of our schools,” U.S. Rep. Meng said. “Cardozo High School is one of the pillars of education in our community and to hear about one of the students getting injured due to gun violence just blocks away from the school breaks my heart. We have to stand up, as parents, students, teachers, and everyday citizens to coordinate an end to this epidemic plaguing our community.”

Councilwoman Paladino called the shocking incident a “wake-up call to our community.”

“The fact is our district is not immune to the dramatic increase in violent crime our city is facing. Unfortunately, this is a direct result of years of bad policy decisions which have rewarded and excused criminal behavior,” Paladino said in a release. “My office is committed to reversing these policies and working closely with police, prosecutors, and the local community to restore public safety.”

State elected officials, who could not attend due to being in Albany, also sent statements of support to the school and the local community.

“Last Friday’s shooting sent shockwaves throughout Oakland Gardens and has alarmed our entire community,” Assemblywoman Nily Rozic said. “While the investigation continues, I join my colleagues in urging for proactive solutions to address the alarming rise of gun violence across New York and increased investments and support services at schools.”

New York State Senator John Liu said that the shooting was the second to take place in the community in less than a week, and emphasized the importance of addressing these “despicable acts.”

“Gun violence is unacceptable in any neighborhood but is especially egregious when it occurs so close to home, in our streets, and so close to our schools,” Liu said in a statement. “Bayside is not the Wild West! We must get these guns off the streets and out of the hands of our youth.”

 

Community rallies against illegal Airbnb in wake of shooting

Bayside residents are in an uproar after a shooting took place earlier this month outside of an Airbnb rental, which left one injured and launched stray bullets into the surrounding area, piercing through cars and even a child’s car seat.

“We are appalled by this incident and will do everything in our power to root out the bad actors and restore our quiet streets to the safe, welcoming neighborhood that we know and love,” Roseann Foley Henry, president of the Bellcourt Civic Association, said.

The property, located at 208-16 38th Avenue in Bayside, has been in the early stages of foreclosure for the last two years and is currently occupied by squatters who have illegally rented it out creating concern for the quality of life in the area.

Members of the community gathered with elected officials outside of the house early Friday morning to call on Airbnb to permanently ban listings at the address and for the city to intervene by issuing an order to vacate.

“We are calling on the city to stop giving our community the run around and issue a vacate order on this property before anyone else gets hurt,” New York State Senator John Liu said. “We also call on Airbnb to stop illegally allowing this property to be listed on their website. Two years is too long for our community to have one home hold an entire block hostage.”

The illegal rental property has been at the core of the issue, playing host to a barrage of late-night parties that have led to numerous complaints of excessive noise, litter, and confrontations with neighboring residents.

Mounting concerns from members of the community culminated into fear after one party-goer was shot in the torso. The victim is reported to be in stable condition, however no arrests have been made as police continue to investigate.

Following the shootout on March 19, elected officials sent a letter to the NYC Department of Buildings calling for a vacate order on the property, and a letter to Airbnb calling for the company to permanently ban any future listings at this address.

Liu said that it is up to the city to redouble its efforts so that it can gain access and properly inspect the property.

“There are several problems at this location that are preventing a satisfying resolution for our community,” Liu added. “At the end of the day, the city needs to be the one to step up and recognize the dangers here as reason enough to vacate the premises and keep our community safe.”

According to Joseph Marziliano, district manager of Community Board 11, the property in question was already problematic for the neighborhood, several years before squatters began listing it to renters online.

“For five years, this problematic property has plagued our neighbors, first as a zombie home, then as an alleged squatter’s den, and now as an illegal Airbnb with a shooting spilling over into the streets,” Marziliano said in a statement. “We are urging Mayor Adams’ administration to issue a vacate order to restore peace to our community.”

Assemblyman Edward Braunstein said that the absentee property owner only emboldened the squatters to not only illegally list the property, but to advertise rooms for rent within the single-family household.

“Enough is enough. Several times in the past, my office has worked with residents to get AirBnb listings at the property shut down, only for it to appear again under another account,” Braunstein said. “While authorities continue their investigation to apprehend the individuals responsible for the shooting, AirBnb must permanently ban listings at this location… we must use every tool at our disposal to address this serious matter once and for all.”

Young guns

Dear Editor,
Twenty-one children between the ages of 13 and 17 were killed in shootings and stabbings this year in New York City. The number of shootings of children under the age of 18 has risen to 105. This has to stop!
We need to bring back “stop and Frisk” to take guns off the street, bring back anti-gang units, and have more youth programs. Parents should not have to bury their child.
The mayor and the NYPD need to stop the killing of our youth. So far, Mayor Bill de Blasio has dropped the ball.
Sincerely,
Frederick R. Bedell, Jr.
Bellerose

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