NYPD veteran cop in coma after getting hit by t-shirt vendor with chair at nail salon, suspect shot dead
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: What should have been a minor arrest at a nail salon went out of control when a cop was attacked by a t-shirt vendor. The police said that the cop, whose name has not been revealed, was hospitalized after his face was struck with a chair by the suspect.
The officer, a 21-year veteran in the service, also suffered head injuries and as of Friday night was reportedly in a medically induced coma. The incident occurred at 5.40 pm when a panhandler walked into Goldmine Nail Salon in Brownsville on Mother Gaston Boulevard near Sutter Avenue.
The panhandler began urinating inside the salon which resulted in the cops being called in. The veteran and his rookie partner were patrolling the neighborhood when they were hailed in by the workers at the nail salon, according to a report in Fox News.
The two cops arrested the panhandler who also had an open warrant for criminal mischief when they were interrupted by a t-shirt peddler who burst into the shop and confronted the officers.
Things got out of hand when the t-shirt peddler, later identified as 33-year-old Kwesi Ashun of Brooklyn, grabbed a chair and attacked the senior cop. The rookie officer tried to taser Ashun, but that did not slow him down.
Following this, the senior cop shot at Ashun at least six times and hit him in the head at least once, according to the authorities.
Ashun was pronounced dead on the scene while the senior officer was taken to Brookdale Hospital and the rookie cop taken to Kings County Hospital to be treated for ringing in his ears.
Pat Lynch, head of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association spoke at a press conference after the shooting and raged, "Once again we had police officers responding to a call for help from the public and was set upon."
"This police officer spent his career in our busiest precincts serving the community. And he was set upon. For no reason," Pat added.
Residents of the neighborhood recall Ashun as being a fixture on the block who got by selling t-shirts. State Assemblywoman Latrice Walker who happened to walk by the block just before the attack recalled Ashun as being a peaceful man.
She said, "I interacted with him moments before this took place. He asked me if I would be interested in buying the t-shirts he was selling. He was always a peaceful young man. He was promoting a business he was trying to kick off."