Two career criminals, Denzel Brown and Marvin Dankwah, have been charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting an off-duty NYPD cop in Queens over the weekend. Brown, a 29-year-old ex-con with a prior rape conviction, and Dankwah, a 26-year-old with a history of arrests, are also facing charges of first-degree robbery and criminal possession of a weapon in the violent incident that left the 25-year-old officer with a graze wound on his leg.
The shooting took place at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday at the intersection of 43rd Avenue and 21st Street in Hunters Point. It is believed that the suspects were trying to carjack the off-duty cop’s neon green BMW X4 with the license plate “SHEEESH,” which was left with a bullet hole in its front windshield. The wounded officer managed to drive off to 31st Road and 21st Street where he was attended to by first responders and taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition.
After the shooting, Brown and Dankwah fled in a gray older model Nissan but were apprehended by the police shortly after. Brown, who has a history of arrests including a rape conviction, served about five years in state prison beginning in June of 2017. He was released from Fishkill Correctional Facility in August 2022 and remained on parole until January 2023. Dankwah, on the other hand, has 10 prior arrests and was most recently arrested on April 2 for using counterfeit money at a CVS.
Both suspects are currently awaiting arraignment for the shooting case. In response to the incident, the New York City Police Benevolent Association expressed gratitude that the officer survived and the suspects were in custody. The union also highlighted the need for the justice system to address the rising criminal activities that put both cops and New Yorkers at risk.
