NYC police officer shot, suspect dead after shootout in Jamaica, Queens

NEW YORK — New York City police killed a man in Queens on Tuesday evening after he shot at officers — hitting one in the leg — who were responding to reports of armed robberies in the area, authorities said.

The officer who was shot is expected to survive, officials said.

Joseph Kenny, the New York Police Department’s chief of detectives, identified the suspect as Gary Worthy. He said Worthy, 57, was being sought in connection with two armed robberies of businesses in Queens.

A pair of officers attempted to approach the man in the Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, telling him to stop, but the man began to run and fired one shot at an officer, hitting the officer in the thigh. The officer then fired back, killing Worthy.

A 26-year-old woman was also hit in the leg during the shootout but is expected to survive, Kenny said.

Kenny said Worthy had been on “lifetime parole” for firearms possession and had been arrested less than a week ago for alleged narcotics possession and resisting arrest but was later released from custody. He was also wanted for three other gunpoint robberies earlier this year, Kenny said.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the handling of Worthy's previous charges marked a failure of the city's criminal justice system. The Democratic mayor made similar comments earlier this week after a man who also had prior criminal charges was arrested after a string of random stabbings killed three people in Manhattan.

“We are grateful tonight but we are also angry, we're angry because we have witnessed in two days a criminal justice system that is failing New Yorkers and the good people of this city,” Adams said.