MOUNT HOPE — An off-duty police sergeant shot one of three men who robbed him at gunpoint in The Bronx on Monday morning, police said.
The sergeant, whose name and age were not immediately released, was near Creston Avenue and East 178th Street about 3:54 a.m. when three men pulled knives and a gun on him, an NYPD spokesman said.
They took his cellphone but spotted his badge, which prompted one of them to say in Spanish, "Shoot him, shoot him," according to police.
That's when the sergeant pulled his own gun and opened fire, hitting one of the thieves, 18, in the torso, police said.
"I heard five gunshots. There were four, then a 30-second pause, then one extra. The fifth one sounded different. After the fifth shot, some guy was screaming, 'Call the police! Call the police!'' said neighbor Ritchie Forti, 24.
"The cops came immediately. It was frightening and scary," Forti said.
The wounded suspect was in police custody at St. Barnabas Hospital, where he's being treated for injuries that aren't considered life-threatening, police said.
He was carrying two knives, 6 and 4.5 inches, NYPD officials said.
The two other suspects fled the scene, according to authorities. The gunman wore a red sweater and his partner had a black jacket, police said.
The sergeant was not injured in the robbery, police said.
