By Adam Nichols and Nina Mandell
DNAinfo Reporters
HARLEM — A police officer was shot in the chest by friendly fire during a wild gunfight early Sunday that left one man dead and several people injured, NYPD officials said.
The officer was saved by his bulletproof vest. Another officer was also shot during the melee, which left four people with bullet wounds — including the alleged killer.
The bullets started flying at a block party on Lenox Avenue, between 143rd and 144th Streets, just after 3 a.m. Sunday.
Police said officers arrived at the scene as a 22-year-old man, identified by the Daily News as Luis Soto, 22, of the Bronx, was shot dead in a fight over a girl.
As NYPD officers approached, gunman Angel Alvarez, 23, opened fire on them, police said.
Kelly said four of the five cops fired back, squeezing off more than 40 shots and hitting Alvarez multiple times. His lawyer said Alvarez had 23 wounds from the bullets. He was taken to Harlem Hospital and was in critical but stable condition Monday.
The two shot officers were named by Police Commissioner Ray Kelly as Officer Michael Tedeschi, 36, a three-year veteran and father of three who was saved by his vest, and Officer Alfredo Vargas, 28, who joined the NYPD in 2008 and who was shot in the left hand, police said.
John Carney, who represents Alvarez, claimed that his client never had a weapon and that the deceased, Luis Soto, was seen with a gun in his waistband. Carney told reporters outside Harlem Hospital where his client was still awaiting charges on Monday afternoon that he also found five new witnesses who saw the shootings and planned to share the information with investigators.
"They're reviewing the case in light of the new witnesses," Carney said.
The DA's office said they were investigating the incident.
NYPD sources said they believed the bullet that hit Tedeschi was one of more than 40 fired from police weapons.
Two more police officers suffered minor injuries from falls during the melee. Three civilians were also hurt in the crossfire.
Police recovered a .38-caliber revolver at the scene. Kelly said other shell casings found at the scene suggest there may have been another shooter.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke to Tedeschi, who was dressed in plain clothes during the shooting, and his wife, Ronnie, in the hospital Sunday.
"Thankfully, I can say with full confidence that (he) will come home to (his children)," the mayor said at a press conference after the meeting.
"He owes his life to the bullet resistant vest he was wearing.
"We're very lucky today. Two police officers shot, fortunately not seriously. But there, but for the grace of God, it could have been much worse.
"In terms of our abilities to protect ourselves, to be safe on our streets, we've just got to do something about all these guns."
Police responded to the gunfire in force, with dozens of officers at the scene within minutes and helicopters searching the surrounding area.
Extra officers were called in to control a crowd of more than 1,000 civilians which gathered in the aftermath.
Kelly said there was another shooting at a nearby block party, on 149th Street at 7th Avenue, at 12.30 a.m. Sunday. A man was shot in the buttocks. The shootings are not believed to be connected.
