NYPD Officer Dies After Being Shot in Botched Robbery While Off Duty

New York City Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell (C) speaks to reporters during a press conference in New York City on Dec. 31, 2022. (NYPD via AP)

An off-duty New York City Police Department (NYPD) officer has died days after being shot in the head during an attempted robbery in Brooklyn on Feb. 4, officials have confirmed.

The officer, 26-year-old Adeed Fayaz, succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell confirmed. His death came just hours after a suspect was arrested.

“Police Officer Adeed Fayaz was a father, a husband, a son, and a protector of our great city,” Sewell wrote on Twitter. “Officer Fayaz was shot Saturday night and he tragically succumbed to his injuries today. Our Department deeply mourns his passing, and his family and loved ones are in our prayers.”

City officials on Tuesday identified the suspect as 38-year-old Randy Jones.

During a press conference on Tuesday, officials said that Fayaz had arranged through Facebook Marketplace to check out and buy a used Honda Pilot for $24,000 from an online seller. The off-duty officer and his brother-in-law were carrying the money for the potential purchase when they arrived at Ruby Street, near Linden Boulevard.

When they arrived at the location, they were met by Jones, who walked them toward a driveway and jokingly asked them if they were carrying a gun, to which they responded “no.”

Jones then allegedly pulled out a gun and got Fayaz in a headlock while pointing the gun at his head and demanding that he hand over the money. At this point, Fayaz told the man that he did not have the money, prompting the suspect to point the gun at his brother-in-law, according to officials.

Fayaz managed to break free from the headlock, officials said, at which point Jones fired the gun, “striking him in the head.” Jones then allegedly continued firing at the brothers as he fled the scene.

Officials said that the brother-in-law grabbed Fayaz’s weapon from its holster and fired at Jones at least six times. Jones then jumped into a black vehicle and sped away, police said.

Dashcam video from the brother-in-law’s SUV helped investigators identify the getaway vehicle and track down the driver, police said. Video footage showed him pulling into a Department of Sanitation lot on Park Avenue at about 8:10 p.m. on Saturday after the shooting.

He was later seen getting out of the vehicle and entering another vehicle with a woman and five children. Investigators were able to track down that vehicle at a Rockland County hotel room on Monday, where Jones was subsequently arrested by an NYPD detective assigned to the U.S. Marshals Regional Task Force.

“He fled but he could not evade our reach,” Sewell said during Tuesday’s press conference.

Suspect Charged

Jones was placed in custody in Brooklyn and has since been charged with murder and attempted robbery. The girlfriend was also questioned but is not expected to be charged in the case, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said.

The children are currently staying with their mother.

Jones, who had at least three prior arrests including one in 2014 for strangulation, asked for a lawyer once he was apprehended, according to police.

Essig said that police used Fayaz’s handcuffs to arrest Jones, telling reporters: “We wanted him to know what he did to that officer and that officer’s cuffs were on him. I think it sends a powerful message.”

Police noted that there have been a number of robberies connected to Facebook Marketplace and other social media sites recently, including in January, and they are currently investigating whether the weekend’s killing may be part of a pattern.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams called Fayaz’s death a “tragedy” on Twitter and said the officer “dedicated his life to keeping his city safe.”

“We lost him to a coward’s bullet, but his love for his fellow New Yorkers will endure. His death is a tragedy. Join me in keeping his family, friends, and brothers and sisters in the NYPD in your hearts tonight,” Adams wrote.