MIDDLETOWN – Police have a 17-year-old male suspect in custody following a chase Thursday evening in which two NYPD officers seeking to arrest him in Middletown fired four shots at him. No one was struck when the teen, who was wanted in connection with a New York City shooting in July., pulled a gun when he saw the cops as he left a Knapp Street, Middletown residence and fled with a gun.
Neighbors heard the gunshots and called 911, which alerted Middletown PD, State Police and the Orange County Sheriff’s Officer. The youth, whose name was not released because of his age, was apprehended within four minutes by Middletown officers Alex Thornton and Jeremy Arroyo on Lake Street.
All four discharged rounds were located. Three struck a vacant house at 1 Chestnut Street and the fourth struck the suspect’s home on Knapp Avenue. The loaded ghost gun was recovered in a rear yard of Bonnell Place with 15 rounds of ammo.
The suspect was charged with criminal possession of a weapon as an adolescent offender and arraigned in Orange County Youth Part Court in Goshen. Additional charges are pending in New York City.
Middletown Police are investigating the local incident with NYPD and the Orange County District Attorney’s Office.
In accordance with state law, the case will be presented to an Orange County grand jury to determine if the actions of the detective were justified.
Police said the suspect was known to Middletown Police and was the subject of an extreme risk protection order on November 8 stemming from a family dispute in which he was reported to have made threats with a gun. No weapon was located during that investigation.
District Attorney David Hoovler said the “proliferation of juveniles carrying handguns has reached epidemic levels (and) this case provides a glimpse of the significant dangers these cases present to police officers, bystanders and our community.”
Chief John Ewanciw said while there are many laws to prevent persons from possessing…
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