A Brooklyn man was shot in the shoulder by police officers responding to a domestic dispute call Monday night in Bedford-Stuyvesant.
The incident happened shortly after 11 p.m., when a woman called 911 and claimed that a man she had an order of protection against was in her house with a gun. When police arrived at the scene, the man had fled.
Witnesses say the responding officers chased the suspect to the intersection of Vernon and Throop avenues, where the man ducked under a van.
Police say when the suspect, whose name has not been released, was ordered by the officers to come out with his hands raised, he refused. According to the officers, they had no choice but to open fire on the man when he appeared to reach into his waistband.
The man is recovering from a gunshot wound in Kings County Hospital. The two police officers were also treated at the hospital for mental trauma.
Following the incident, police remained at the scene, searching for the gun the suspect allegedly had in his possession. No weapon has been recovered so far.
Domestic violence advocates say what the woman did was extremely courageous and urged all women who experience domestic abuse to follow her example and call police.
?This should be a catalyst to a lot of other women who are dealing with domestic violence,? says community leader Anthony Herbert. ?We have a person who stood up and said: ?Hey, I?m not going to take this anymore.??
Advocates say considering the suspect's long list of assaults, he should not have been out on the street. They promise to work with the district attorney to ensure that the man will return to jail for a long time.