Joshua Dorsett, of Manhattan, pleads not guilty in shooting of 2 NYPD officers, including one from Long Island
Joshua Dorsett appears in State Supreme Court in Manhattan for his arraignment on Tuesday. Credit: Louis Lanzano
A 22 year-old Manhattan man was arraigned Tuesday on an indictment charging him with the attempted murder of two NYPD sergeants, including one from Suffolk County, in connection with the Aug. 1 robbery of a mah-jongg parlor in Chinatown, officials said.
Joshua Dorsett was ordered by Manhattan State Supreme Court Judge Laura Ward to continue to be held without bail after he pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, robbery, assault and other offenses related to last month’s shooting on the Lower East Side.
NYPD officers from both the patrol and sergeant ranks filled the courtroom for the arraignment.
Defense attorney Bernadette Rabuy didn’t return telephone calls or emails for comment after the arraignment.
According to police and court records, Dorsett wielded a .45-caliber handgun as he robbed the mostly women patrons of the mah-jongg parlor on Canal Street near the Manhattan Bridge.
Police officers were alerted to the holdup by 911 calls and encountered a fleeing Dorsett, who began to grapple with two sergeants, Christopher Leap and Carl Johnson. According to investigators, Dorsett, an alleged gang member, had the gun in his right pants pocket and before being handcuffed fired the weapon in his pocket, striking both sergeants with one round.
Leap, 34, who lives in Suffolk County, suffered a minor leg wound and was release from hospital within hours of the encounter. Johnson, 42, of Queens, was hit in the thigh area and remained in hospital a few days longer. Both officers are still recovering, officials said.
In a statement, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin J. Bragg Jr. said before Dorsett encountered Leap and Johnson, he had tried to buy a change of clothing to disguise his appearance but was unable to make a purchase.
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said in a statement that the incident once again underscored the dangers faced by NYPD officers.
"This indictment serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that NYPD police officers face every day while working to combat the proliferation of illegal guns on the streets of New York City," Caban said.
Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.
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