NYPD: Detective injured in Brooklyn shooting

An NYPD detective was injured in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn Thursday afternoon when a gunman apparently aiming for another vehicle opened fire and struck the officer's windshied, NYPD officials said.

The detective was expected to be released from the hospital later Thursday night, city and police officials said a news conference.

Police identified the wounded detective as Sunjay Verma. The detective's age, hometown and length of service in the NYPD were not immediately released.

Police said that two officers from the 73rd Precinct were traveling in marked police car at about 4:30 p.m. when the gunman "suddenly and without provocation" opened fire, apparently aiming at a different vehicle," said NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell in a news conference.

A bullet went through the police car’s window and the officer driving sustained nonlife threatening injuries. "We're so grateful that he's going to be OK," Sewell said.

“We believe a shooter was attempting to strike a white vehicle,” Assistant Chief Joseph Kenny of the NYPD detective bureau said at the news conference. “The officers immediately exited their vehicle and pursued the gunman.” The shooter fled on foot and the officers lost sight of him when he jumped into a courtyard, he said.

Police are still looking for the shooter. A 9 mm pistol was retrieved at the site.

The name of the wounded detective was not immediately available and the community he is from, was not identified.

“We thank God these officers will be going home tonight,” Mayor Eric Adams said at the news conference. ”We're going to do everything possible to find the person who's guilty of this shooting.”

Adams praised the “heroic officers” who chased after the gunman and are “not going to surrender our streets to violence.” He said the wounded officer's father was a retired member of the NYPD.