Off-duty NYPD officer shot in road rage incident: officials 

WOODSIDE, Queens (PIX11) — An off-duty NYPD officer was shot in the leg in Queens Wednesday afternoon during a road rage incident involving two brothers, police said. 

Edwin Rivera, 32, and 27-year-old Shawn Rivera were allegedly involved in the shooting on 70th Street and Queens Boulevard in Woodside around 12:49 p.m., according to the NYPD. The officer, whose name has yet to be released, is an NYPD veteran with five years of service on the force, police said. 

The officer was driving his personal vehicle when he met a white minivan blocking the roadway, police said. Unable to get by, the officer pulled up to the van and argued with the driver, according to the NYPD. The officer then drove around the minivan.

The driver of the minivan caught up with the officer at 70th Street and Queens Boulevard and another argument ensued, according to the NYPD. While the two drivers argued, the driver’s brother ran up on foot and smashed the car’s window, police said.

The off-duty officer got out of his vehicle, identified himself as a cop, and drew his service weapon – announcing the two males were under arrest, police officials said.   

The cop then called 911, put his phone down, and grabbed the male who broke his window. As he was apprehending the male who allegedly smashed his window, police said he reholstered his weapon and got into a struggle with the man.  

During the struggle, the other brother ran up behind the cop and placed him in a chokehold, an NYPD official said. 

The two brothers then beat the cop, pushing him against the car and trying to take his weapon, according to the NYPD. All three men ended up on the ground, where one round was discharged from the officer’s service weapon, police said.

When the gun went off, one brother fled the scene, but the other brother continued to fight with the officer, police said. A second round was discharged from the officer’s gun.

Uniformed on-duty officers arrived at the scene and took control of the incident, NYPD officials said.  

The on-duty officers arrested one brother at the scene. The other brother walked into an area hospital with a gunshot to his hand and was taken into custody by police, according to the NYPD.

The off-duty officer was taken to a hospital for treatment of a gunshot wound to his thigh, police said. His injuries were described as not life-threatening.

Shawn Rivera was charged with assault, strangulation, criminal possession of a weapon, resisting, criminal mischief and obstructing government administration. Edwin Rivera was charged with assault, criminal possession of a weapon and obstructing government administration.