New York City briefs

Man with gun shot by cop after fleeing wreck

A police officer shot and wounded a man who raised a gun after slamming his car into a truck in Crown Heights Wednesday and running off, the NYPD said.

The 24-year-old suspect, who was not immediately identified, was in stable condition after being taken to Kings County Hospital, police said.

The officer first noticed the 2015 Ford Mustang when it was speeding down Empire Boulevard about 12:15 p.m. He followed the man in his marked NYPD car with the lights flashing and tried to stop him.

The suspect drove into oncoming traffic on Empire Boulevard, just before Brooklyn Avenue, and slammed into a flatbed truck in the median, police said.

The suspect, who appeared to be alone, got out of the car and fled, turning east onto Montgomery Avenue. The officer ran after him and fired after he saw the man's gun, police said.

The suspect was struck twice in the torso, police said. A loaded semiautomatic Ruger firearm was recovered, the NYPD said.

Report: Financial ed needed in Brooklyn

A large percentage of Brooklyn residents face serious financial difficulties, according to a report released by borough President Eric Adams' office.

Roughly 17 percent of Brooklyn consumers carry loans that are 90 days or more past due, and the borough's delinquency in credit card debt is almost 2 percentage points higher than the national average, according to the report. Adams said the debt is caused by a lack of economic opportunity for the poorest residents and a lack of financial education.

"Not knowing how to save, inefficient use of tax returns and the lack of understanding about compound interest and how it affects consumers are additional contributing factors that impact the credit of Brooklyn residents," the report said.

Adams said the city and state should focus on improving financial education for younger students. Specifically, he pushed the State Legislature to pass a bill that would require a financial literacy course for middle and high school students and for more funding to the city's Department of Consumer Affairs Financial Empowerment Center.

Oil spill money to fund Eco-Schools project

Four public schools in Brooklyn are starting ambitious environmental programs with funds from an oil spill settlement.

State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman joined Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina Wednesday to celebrate the Greenpoint Eco-Schools project.

The eco-schools program was developed by the National Wildlife Federation. The $1.75 million in funding comes from a settlement with ExxonMobil for a massive oil spill that was discovered in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn in the late 1970s.

The money will be used to hire "sustainability coaches" who will work on environmental projects designed to boost science education while cutting waste and energy use.

Schneiderman says the program will create the next generation of environmental stewards out of one of "the worst industrial disasters in our city's history."

Boerum Hill man shot in back dies of wound

Police are investigating a fatal shooting in Brooklyn's Boerum Hill neighborhood.

Police responding to a 911 call at 3:19 a.m. Wednesday found a man lying in front of a building on Bergen Street.

The victim had a gunshot wound to the back. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The man's name was not immediately released. No arrests have been made.

Man dies in fall at construction site

A 56-year-old man is dead after he fell from a house construction site on Staten Island.

Police responded to the scene on Bradford Avenue at 3:15 p.m. Tuesday and found the man on the ground. They say he had suffered head trauma and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man's name has not been released.

The city Buildings Department is investigating.