Friendly fire injured NYPD cop, not street brawl suspect

A stray bullet from another officer was what struck an NYPD cop responding to a Bronx street brawl this weekend, not the suspect who he was pursuing, reports said.

Police Officer Sherrod Stuart, assigned to plainclothes anti-crime patrol, respond to 2505 3rd Ave. about 2:10 a.m. on Saturday with a partner after there were several 911 calls reporting a large fight in the street with guns, bats and knives, police said.

At the scene, the officers encountered a male suspect and pursued him. Backup started to arrive and the officers engaged in a gunfight during which Stuart was struck in the right foot. He returned gunfire, striking the suspect four times.

Though the NYPD initiallysaid that the officer was hit by the suspect,19-year-old Christopher Rice, media reports said Monday that the officer was actually struck by friendly fire from another cop.

Stuart, 25, who is a four-year veteran of the force, was taken to Lincoln Hospital in stable condition. Rice was also taken to Lincoln Hospitalin serious condition.

Five stabbing victims were additionally taken to local hospitals in connection to thestreet fight.

A 380 semi-automatic firearm was recovered at the scene. Three additional firearms were also recovered in a search of the area around 137th Street and 3rd Avenue where the street fight was reported.

Police said that Rice “has a criminal history of five prior arrests, including an arrest just [Friday]on a charge of fare beating, a charge in which he was released from court at 11p.m. last night — three hours before the shooting.”

He was charged earlier on Mondaywithassault on a police officer, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon. According to NBC New York, the charges should stick because Rice’s “actions led to the officer being shot.”