RIDGEWOOD — A man wielding a fake Glock was shot and killed by undercover police in Queens late Saturday, police said.
The man, 42, whose identity had not been released Sunday, interrupted an arrest by two plainclothes narcotics detectives in a drug-buying sting at the corner of Gates and Seneca avenues at 10:43 p.m., police said. The undercover officers were taking a 33-year-old suspect into custody.
The unidentified man emerged from a black livery cab, which sped off as the man got out on Gates Avenue, witnesses told police.
He confronted the officers and pulled what looked like a Glock 19 semi-automatic handgun from his waistband, pointing it at the officers, police said.
Cops fired off six rounds, striking him three times in the leg and torso, police said. The man was rushed to Wyckoff Hospital but pronounced dead.
A Walther CP99 compressed air pellet gun was later recovered, police said. The dead man had 39 prior arrests, according to the NYPD, including four by the Miami-Dade Police Department. His record in the city was mainly for drugs, and included robbery, weapons possessions and assault charges.
The suspect who was taken into custody during the undercover drug sting, Nolan Rivera, said he recognized the man from the neighborhood but did not know him well. Rivera ingested drugs, police investigators said, and was taken to the hospital for observation.
Rivera was charged with selling a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence and possession of marijuana.
It was the first police-involved shooting for both undercover officers involved, and witnesses said the officers, aged 42 and 48, had their badges displayed.
An investigation is ongoing, police said.
