Ryder: Suspect who shot at officers asked for 'suicide by cop'

An alleged member of the Crips street gang who opened fire on Nassau police in Uniondale early Tuesday put his gun to his head, hoping officers would shoot him and he would commit "suicide by cop," authorities said.

The suspect, identified by police as Jonathan R. Vazquez, 20, of Bay Shore, was arrested after he fled several times as officers tried to arrest him.

"He starts to speak to my officers," Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said, "looking for suicide by cop."

Vazquez has been charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer, assault, criminal use of a firearm and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon. He will be arraigned on Wednesday at First District Court in Hempstead, police said in a release.

Vazquez also faces an attempted murder charge in connection with an incident in Hempstead last month, and he has been charged in a robbery in Levittown, police said.

No police officers were shot during the early morning confrontation at Nassau Road and Arthur Street, officials said, but one did injure his knee pursuing Vazquez. Police recovered a 9 mm Luger pistol from the suspect.

A bullet fired by Vazquez struck the hood of a police vehicle, according to Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who said the round could have struck an officer crouching behind a police vehicle door if it was a few inches higher.

"Instead of a minor injury to our police officer, with a dislocated knee, we might have had a much sadder story to tell," Blakeman said during a news conference in Mineola.

Ryder said police may release the officer's body camera video after consulting with Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly’s office.

Officers assigned to the Nassau County Police Department’s Bureau of Special Operations were on routine patrol in Uniondale early Tuesday when they spotted a black Charger linked to an earlier robbery in Levittown, Ryder said. The officers ran the license plates and learned that the Charger had been reported stolen.

The driver of the Charger fled when the officers tried to pull him over, according to Ryder, who said the suspect hit another vehicle, damaging the suspect’s axle, while attempting to squeeze between it and a parked car. An occupant of the struck vehicle was injured.

Vazquez continued to flee before coming to a stop, firing on the officers as they exited their vehicle.

Uniondale resident Larry Thomas, who witnessed the incident, said he saw the gunman cocking his gun as he ran toward police. "He was shooting at the cops," Thomas told Newsday.

"The individual fired twice from his vehicle, one through the window, hitting the hood of the car," Ryder said. "If that’s two inches higher, it goes and strikes my officer."

The officers returned fire, shooting at Vazquez several times. The suspect fled again, eventually turning down a dead end side street, Ryder said. He stepped out of the Charger and pointed his weapon at the officers. "Click, click," Ryder said. "It doesn’t fire."

Vazquez fled again, and the officers chased the suspect into a residential backyard, where he stopped and put his weapon to his head.

Thomas said the gunman told pursuing officers that he was intent on suicide.

"He said, ‘I’m gonna kill myself, I’m gonna kill myself,’" Thomas said.

The officers did not fire and Vazquez fled again.

Vazquez surrendered and was arrested without further incident. He suffered a cut on his back during the pursuit and was treated at a hospital. Police are still investigating how the suspect obtained the weapon, Ryder said.

Nassau Road between Brookside and Argyle avenues was closed due to the police investigation into the incident and reopened about 7:30 a.m.

Police believe Vazquez is also responsible for an incident that occurred in Hempstead on February 8. He is charged with attempted murder, assault, criminal use of a firearm and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

Police did not provide details of the alleged incident.

Vazquez has also been charged with robbery in connection with an incident on Feb. 16 in Levittown. In that case, police said a 52-year-old woman was held up at gunpoint outside her home by a man who stole her pocketbook, which contained a cell phone, wallet, credit cards, and an "undisclosed amount" of money.

With John Valenti and Cecilia Dowd