THE BRONX — The police officer wounded by bodega robbers last week moved Monday from St. Barnabas to Mt. Sinai Hospital for more surgery — the same day that his accused shooter was indicted for attempted murder.
Officer Andrew Dossi of the 46th Precinct was shot in his left arm and back on Jan. 5 as he attempted to stop the the gunpoint robbery of Welcome 2 Yemen Deli in Fordham. He switched hospitals so he could undergo another surgery for his arm injuries on Tuesday, according to the NYPD. He remains in stable condition.
"He's a dedicated and hardworking officer," said 46th Precinct Commanding Officer Philip Rivera in an email. "I wish I had more like him."
There is still no date set for Dossi's release, and he has several surgeries that he needs to deal with, according to NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton.
"He is still there with a long way to go for recovery to get back to work," Bratton said.
Jason Polanco, the man accused of shooting Dossi and Pellerano, appeared in court on Monday, where his Supreme Court arraignment was set for March 3.
Polanco was indicted on 13 charges, including two counts of attempted murder, three counts of robbery and one count of assault. Additional charges against him are still pending, according to the Bronx District Attorney's Office.
The suspect was arrested on Tuesday after allegedly opening fire on Dossi and Pellerano at the 363 E. 180th St corner store, court documents said.
When five officers came to the scene of the robbery, Polanco fled to a Chinese restaurant and fired shots that hit Dossi, Pellerano and Kemp, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce.
A group of about 20 people appeared in court on Monday to show support for Polanco. His defense attorney Joel Peister said the amount of people who showed up on his behalf was a testament to his good character.
"This is not a street kid," Peister said. "This is a kid with no criminal record."
"As you can see, he has got substantial community support," he continued, describing Polanco as "obviously depressed" in the aftermath of the police shooting.
Polanco is denying the charges against him, Peister said.
His accused accomplice, Joshua Kemp, was also indicted on Monday on eight charges, including three counts of robbery, two counts of burglary and criminal possession of a weapon.
He is due back in court for an arraignment on March 10, and his attorney Michael Raskin said Kemp plans to contest the charges.
Raskin demurred when asked specifically about Kemp's role in the robbery, saying, "That will come out in court."
Polanco was ordered held without bail on Wednesday, and bail for Kemp was set at $200,000, which Raskin said would be difficult for him to make.
Kemp feels terrible that two police officers had been shot and had also suffered from the events himself, according to Raskin.
"He is a victim as well," Raskin said. "He was shot."
