Close call for NYPD Gang Unit Officers

[MARK1124]

New York Daily News - http://www.nydailynews.com
Gun-bust cops win life-death battle

Tuesday, December 12th, 2006

It was a scene eerily reminiscent of the Staten Island murders of undercover cops James Nemorin and Rodney Andrews. But this time, two Coney Island undercover cops fought for their lives and won - and arrested the criminals who nearly killed them.
The undercover detectives were trying to buy guns in an ongoing NYPD Gang Division major case. This particular buy would occur last Thursday in the rear of Coney Island's Marlboro housing development at 2352 W. Eighth St.

The "buys" consisted of crack, cocaine, heroin and guns. The case was strong and arrests were imminent, said a police source, who provided the following details of the deadly encounter.

On Dec. 7 at about 5 p.m., the undercovers met with Gary Felton, 20, known on the street as "JD Junior," in a prearranged meeting to buy two 9-mm. handguns.

A few minutes later the "seller," later identified as Shamik Mitchell, 22, showed up. As the cop reached for the knapsack that Mitchell was handing over to him, Mitchell dug a gun into the right side of the cop's neck. The undercover immediately grabbed the gun - which discharged a bullet that whizzed past the cop's head.

During the life-and-death struggle, the undercover managed to grab his own gun and began firing. That prompted his partner to come out with his gun blazing. Miraculously, no one was hit.

The backup team swooped in and nabbed the suspects. "These [undercovers] deal with this reality every day, but you only hear about it when they get killed or something goes wrong," the source said.


Ernie Naspretto