NEW YORK CITY — The NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association started a fundraising effort Saturday to raise scholarship money for the children of Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo, who was killed in a shootout Friday in the Bronx.
The SBA launched the GoFundMe page Saturday evening, with a goal of $100,000 to help fund an education for Tuozzolo's two sons, aged 3 and 4, the union said.
Tuozzolo and Sgt. Emmanuel Kwo confronted a heavily armed Manuel Rosales, 35, near Beach Avenue and Merrill Street in Van Nest around 3 p.m. Friday.
►READ MORE: NYPD Sergeant Killed, Another Wounded in Bronx Shootout, Officials Say
Rosales, who had previously broken into his estranged wife's home, was driving a red jeep that Tuozzolo and Kwo spotted nearby and pinned against the curb. The two then approached the vehicle, when Rosales, who was attempting to climb out of the Jeep's front passenger-side window, opened fire with a chrome Colt .45 caliber handgun, according to police.
A chrome Colt .45 caliber handgun, recovered from the scene of a police shooting in the Bronx. Manuel Rosales, 35, used the firearm to shoot and kill Sgt. Paul Tuozzolo and injure Sgt. Emmanuel Kwo on Nov. 4, 2016, police said. (NYPD)
Tuozzolo was struck in the forehead before he could fire off a shot, sources said. Kwo, who was shot in the leg, was able to use the car for cover and fire back, wounding Rosales before arriving officers were able to shoot and kill Rosales, sources said.
Both men were taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where Tuozzolo was pronounced dead. Kwo was treated and released Friday night, police said.
►READ MORE: Wounded NYPD Sergeant Released From Hospital
Visitors flooded the page Sunday morning with an outpouring of support. Retired and active officers from the NYPD, as well as members of the police department in Suffolk County, where Tuozzolo lived, donated and left condolences.
All money from the fundraiser will go to the Sergeants Benevolent Association Widows and Children’s Fund, and will be used for scholarships for the two young children, the union said.
SBA president Ed Mullins called the fatal shooting "an absolute tragedy," and added that the union was dedicated to helping the family going forward.
"The SBA will be there for them now- and forever," read a statement from Mullins. "There is nothing that can be done now to ease their pain, but it is important that this fund be established to assist them during the many challenges that lie ahead."
To make a donation, visit the page on GoFundMe.com. Additionally, donations can be made to the SBA Widows and Children’s Fund and sent to the SBA Office: 35 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013 Attn: Sgt. Tuozzolo Scholarship Fund.
