NYPD Officer Is Killed During ‘Unprovoked Attack’ While On Anti-Crime Patrol

Miosotis Familia, a 48-year-old NYPD officer, was shot and killed in the Bronx while on an anti-crime patrol on Wednesday, at around 12:30 a.m. It has been confirmed that Familia was sitting in a police vehicle when the “unprovoked attack” occurred. The suspect, 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, reportedly approached the officer and, without warning, pulled out a revolver and shot Familia in the head. Her partner, Vincent Maher, who was sitting next to her, immediately called for help and requested reinforcement using the police radio. Bonds was then involved in a shootout with two police officers, who chased him down. During this brief confrontation, Bonds was fatally shot and killed on a sidewalk by the two police officers. Furthermore, a nearby bystander was hit by a bullet during the incident and suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach. The Washington Post has now reported that the unnamed person is “in stable condition.”

After the attack, Familia was immediately rushed to nearby St. Barnabas Hospital, in very critical condition, but the officer ultimately succumbed to her gunshot wound. She was pronounced dead at 3:37 a.m. Tragically, the slain police officer was close to wrapping up her shift before the attack occurred in the Fordham Heights neighborhood. It remains unclear what the killer’s motive was, and there is currently no indication that Bonds had known officer Familia prior to the shooting. However, police sources have confirmed that the man had a criminal record. According to state records, Bonds spent seven years in prison for a robbery case in Syracuse and was currently on parole.

Furthermore, Bonds’s girlfriend, who shared an apartment with the 34-year-old prior to his death, has been taken in for questioning by the NYPD. Twenty-nine-year-old Marta Perez, the suspect’s neighbor, further revealed in an interview with the New York Times that Bonds always seemed “funny, strange funny” and liked to play “Spanish music all the time.”

During the press conference at the St. Barnabas Hospital, police Commissioner James P. O’Neil reiterated that the attack was unprovoked.

“Based on what we know right now, this was an unprovoked attack against police officers who want to keep this great city safe.”

O’Neil further referred to the killing of officer Familia as an “assassination.” The commissioner also took to Twitter to pay tribute to the fallen veteran, who served the police force for 12-years, and he asked everyone to “keep her family in your prayers.”

#NYPD PO Miosotis Familia has been assassinated in an unprovoked attack on cops assigned to keep NYers safe. Keep her family in your prayers pic.twitter.com/yhRB7H5bvi

— Commissioner Sewell (@NYPDPC) July 5, 2017

At the aforementioned press conference, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio also took the opportunity to pay his respects to Familia.

“She was on duty, serving this city, protecting people, doing what she believed in and doing the job she loved. And after this shocking and sudden attack, her fellow officers came to her aid immediately,” said Blasio.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Familia’s family and the NYPD in this difficult time.

[Featured Image by AP Images]