NYPD Officer Wounded In Bronx Gunfight, Suspect Dies: Cops

NEW YORK CITY — An NYPD officer is recovering after being shot in the arm during a gun battle in The Bronx that left a suspected shooter dead, police said.

Officer Dennis Vargas walked away from Lincoln Medical Center with his arm in a sling to applause from his fellow cops after the late Tuesday shooting, video shows.

The suspected shooter — Rameek Smith, 25 — died Wednesday at 3:30 a.m. in St. Barnabas Hospital from a gunshot wound to his head he suffered during the battle in Claremont, police said.

Mayor Eric Adams commended Vargas' bravery during an early Wednesday news conference in which he also condemned recent bail laws he said kept Smith — a homeless man with a long criminal record — on the streets even after he was found with a gun in March 2020.

“It is time for us to stop spending our energy protecting people who are committing crimes and violence,” Adams said. “This person has an extensive arrest history. He made up his mind, he was not going to stop until he took the life of an innocent person.”

The gun battle began after Vargas and another uniformed Bronx public safety team officer saw Smith walking down a sidewalk on Third Avenue near Claremont Parkway about 10:45 p.m., said NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig.

Smith began to run, prompting the officers to chase him for roughly a block along Claremont and Bathgate avenues, Essig said. It's then that Smith turned and fired two shots, striking Vargas, he said.

The officers returned fire and struck Smith in the head, Essig said. Smith spend hours in critical condition at St. Barnabas before he died, police said.

Cops found a 9mm handgun at the scene, which they discovered had been stolen out of Richmond, Virginia, in June 2021, Essig said.

Adams, who has called for tweaks to the state's bail reform laws, recounted Smith's criminal record. He said officers stopped him for jumping a turnstile in March 2020 and found a firearm.

But Smith remained on the streets for 20 months before he pleaded guilty in December 2021, Adams said. Even then, Smith walked free as his sentencing hearing got pushed back twice.

“People want to ask why am I cracking down on fare evasions — that’s why,” he said. “People want to ask why we are conducting 300,000 station inspections? That’s why. People want to ask why are we pushing for reform? That’s why.”

Advocates argue that Adams' plans to increase enforcement on fare evasion and other quality of life issues won't affect major crimes, but rather would disproportionately affect people of color and low-income New Yorkers.

Attorneys for The Legal Aid Society who represented Smith blasted Adams’ comments. They said Smith was complying with mental health court requirements.

“Mayor Adams and the New York City Police Department’s baseless claims that this case involves bail reform is patently incorrect and exposes the Administration’s continued refusal to comprehend the scope and benefits of these reforms,” attorneys said in a statement.

“If anything, Mr. Smith’s case underscores the need for early intervention, access to services and community-based support.

“Lastly, we caution New Yorkers on crediting the Mayor’s unconscionable fear-mongering about last night’s killing. In the end, a young man, struggling with multiple ailments, had his life cut short, and the public should not lose sight of that regardless of incendiary comments from City Hall.”