It was a chaotic scene on the second floor of a Brooklyn building when four officers responded to a 911 call and find a man in a doorway draped in a blanket and holding a .38 caliber revolver.
Police say the man squeezed off three shots, clipping the bullet proof vest of one officer and grazing another officer in the leg, before two of the officers fired 23 shots in return.
“There is no routine call. And police officers have split second decisions in life and death circumstances,” said Police Commissioner Dermott Shea.
The gunfight occurred around 9:15 P.M. Sunday night after 911 received a report of a man shot inside the building on Hawthorne Street, near Flatbush Avenue.
Police say the first of the officers was less than 10 feet away when the gunman opened fire, and that all of the officers were “lucky to be alive.”
“The officer who was first in the single file line instinctively turned his body, bladed himself like this and was able to avoid a direct impact to his bullet resistant vest,” said Chief of Department Rodney Harrison.
That bullet, police say, pierced the first officer’s jacket, struck the magnet of his body-worn camera, hit his bulletproof vest and exited through his jacket.
Police say that after the gunshots the suspect barricaded himself in the apartment with his roommate, whom he had shot, and an unidentified woman.
“The officers on scene, not knowing who is behind the door, turned this incident into a hostage negotiation situation,” added Harrison.
The emergency service unit was able to convince the suspect to leave the apartment without incident.
Police say the roommate was shot in both legs and was the one who called 911, pleading with the operator, "Don't let me die in here.'"
The roommate is expected to be okay. And both officers are expected to make a full recovery.
“This incident, I am sure everyone can understand, could have been a lot worse. By the grace of God our heroic officers will be going home,” said Harrison.
Three illegal guns were recovered inside the apartment.
The suspect is identified as 44-year-old Abdur Rashid Ridhwaan.
He's been arrested on several charges, including attempted murder of a police officer, and attempted murder.