The Bronx is reeling from the sudden and completely unprovoked murder of a veteran NYPD officer from the 46th Precinct onIndependence Day.
Police officer Miosotis Familia was shot Wdnesday, July 5, while sitting in a marked NYPD command vehicle near the corner of Morris Avenue and East 183rd Street in the Bronx around 12:30 a.m., according to police.
Familia, a 12-year NYPD veteran, was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
“Based on what we know right now, it is clear this was an unprovoked attack on police officers who were assigned to keep the people of this great city safe,” NYPD Police Commissioner O’Neal told reporters at an impromptu press conference outside St. Barnabas.
NYPD Police Benevolent Association president Patrick Lynch called the shooting nothing less than an assassination.
“Police officer Miosotis Familia, 48, the mother of three, gave her life protecting a neighborhood that had been plagued by gang gun violence,” Lynch said. “Fully knowing the dangers that she faced, she suited up in uniform everyday and stood tall against those who threaten and terrorize the good folks of the Bronx.”
Lynch also called on the community to report any potential threats to police to help prevent future assaults.
The gunman, a convicted felon with a lengthy rapsheet, had served seven years in a state correctional facility for a robbery upstate and had recently made threats online against police, according to published reports.
“When you see or hear someone making threats against NYC police officers you need to let us know, you need to be our eyes and ears,” Lynch said. “Police officer Familia now joins the exclusive ranks of women who have heroically served and died in the line of duty. We will keep her in our hearts and minds as we do all of the women and men who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the city they loved.”
A vigil was planned for Wednesday afternoon outside the 46th Precinct headquarters at 2120 Ryer Avenue.
The precinct posted a photo of Familia on its social media accounts, with just three words accompanying it: end of watch.
The precinct also thanked the community for its prayers and support.
Senator Gustavo Rivera said the shooting was yet another sobering reminder of the daily dangers faced by police while on duty.
“Let’s keep officer Familia, her three beloved children, her loved ones and all members of our city’s police department in our thoughts and prayers on this sad day,” Rivera said. “Today, without a doubt, our city has lost one of its finest.”
Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. also praised the fallen Bronx officer.
“Officer Familia was a dedicated servant to our city and the news of her passing is incredibly tragic. Please keep her family, friends and colleagues in the 46th Precinct in your prayers during this difficult time.”
Familia and her partner were inside the mobile command post when the suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, fired through the vehicle’s window, striking Familia in the head.
The police officer’s partner immediately called for assistance, and a sergeant and a police officer soon encountered the male subject running on Morris Avenue around a block from the scene of the shooting.
When they confronted the suspect, he drew a revolver.
The police officers fired at him, striking and killing him. A silver revolver was recovered at the scene.
The mobile command vehicle had been stationed in the area since March due to a number of gang-related shootings in the area, O’Neal added.
A bystander was also struck by a bullet during the incident. However, that person was in stable condition by Wednesday afternoon.
