mug shot of Bryan Martinez
The Yonkers Police Department has arrested a suspect in the shooting incident of an off-duty New York City Police Department Officer that occurred earlier this week.
Just before 11:30 AM on November 14, 2023, Yonkers Police Officers responded to a report of shots fired in the area of the Saw Mill River Parkway and Tompkins Avenue. While responding to that location, a second call was received from a local hospital reporting that a male was being treated for a gunshot wound to his arm. Units responded to both locations, securing the victim as well as locating a crime scene on Tompkins Avenue at Railroad Avenue, just east of the Saw Mill River Parkway. The area was cordoned off as a criminal investigation commenced.
Detectives from the Major Case Squad, Crime Scene Unit, and Digital Forensics Unit responded to the scene to investigate. The investigation yielded that the victim was sitting in traffic in his vehicle at the above location, waiting to enter the Saw Mill River Parkway. While sitting in his vehicle, the victim was approached from the rear by a suspect who fired approximately 13 gunshots at him before fleeing. One of these rounds struck the victim in his right arm. The victim then drove himself to an area hospital for treatment. This victim, whose name is not being released by this Department, is a 27-year-old male resident of Yonkers. He is also a Police Officer with the New York City Police Department who was off-duty at the time of the incident. He was treated and later released from an area hospital. No other injuries or property damage were discovered.
Shortly after the shooting, the Yonkers Police Department was able to identify a vehicle wanted in connection with the shooting and, with the assistance of the Westchester County Police Department and Westchester County Real-Time Crime Center, were able to locate this vehicle in Port Chester, NY. Just after 4:00 PM on November 14, 2023, the Yonkers Police Department, along with members of the Westchester County Police Department, FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force, and Port Chester Police Department, took a person of interest into custody without incident.
The investigation into this incident continued in the following days, resulting in the formal arrest of this same individual on the evening of November 16, 2023. This suspect is identified as 30-year-old Bryan MARTINEZ of Port Chester, NY. The investigation has determined that this was a targeted attack that stemmed from a personal dispute between the victim and MARTINEZ, who were known to each other as acquaintances through family members. MARTINEZ is charged with Attempted Murder 2nd Degree, Assault 1st Degree, Assault 2nd Degree, and Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd Degree. He is currently lodged at the Yonkers City Jail and will be arraigned in the City of Yonkers Criminal Court later today.
Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza stated, “We do not stand for acts of violence in this City, let alone violence that amounts to gunshots being fired at an off-duty Police Officer. I applaud our Detective Division for their outstanding work and for living up to their remarkable case-closure rate with this arrest. We thank our law enforcement partners in this County and with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for once again working with us to solve this case and remove yet another violent offender from our streets.”
NOTE: Booking charges are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
