WASHINGTON, D.C. — Overnight, a police officer was shot in the Nation’s Capital. It comes after at least two other officers were killed over the weekend. Now, several states are stepping up efforts to target illegal guns.
An ambush attack on police led to a dangerous standoff. At least one officer was rushed to the hospital after an armed suspect opened fire before barricading themselves in a house.
“Before they could make contact, he started firing shots at these officers,” MPDC Chief Robert Contee explained.
This attack came on the heels of a shooting in Houston that left Corporal Charles Galloway dead, and another shooting in New York that killed rookie Officer Jason Rivera.
“[Rivera] tried to take care of everybody in the street. He’d give a hand to a junkie, baby, everybody. He was 22 years old,” said family friend Susana Rosario.
Rivera’s mother wracked with grief was the NYPD escorted her son’s body to the funeral home.
He was one of at least 18 police officers killed in the line of duty since January 1.
Investigators say the gun used to shoot Rivera was a Glock with a “high capacity magazine” and was allegedly reported stolen in Baltimore in 2017.
“That particular gun, there’s no other reason why he has one other than to commit a crime,” said former NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Doyce.
Now, local officials are demanding the federal government take action to stem the flow of illegal firearms between states.
In New York, Governor Kathy Hochul says states are coming together to launch a new task force to curb gun violence. The group is comprised of more than 50 agencies across nine states and is set to meet later this week.
“We have to do more to fight the scourge of illegal guns on our streets and we need Washington teaming up with us, teaming up with locals, to get it done,” said Governor Hochul.
The governor also vows to triple funding for anti-gun violence efforts, and the NYPD says it’s bringing back a “plainclothes anti-gun unit” to target known offenders.