Authorities have reported that a 22-year-old male has been taken into police custody on suspicion of being involved in the shooting of a rookie officer with the NYPD in Queens.
An investigation into several social media accounts reportedly helped lead to the arrest.
On Thursday around 8 p.m., members of the U.S. Marshals apprehended Devin Spraggins at a residence in the Bronx.
During the operation, a gun was also discovered on the premises, but it remains unclear whether it was the weapon used in the incident.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, when Officer Brett Boller, who is also 22 years old, was shot in the hip while responding to a disturbance on a bus.
At a press conference on Friday morning, high-ranking officials with the NYPD provided details about the suspect’s arrest.
According to the authorities, Devin Spraggins fled the crime scene after the shooting and was seen entering a Black Nissan Altima, which was operated by a Lyft driver.
The vehicle transported Spraggins to a residence located on 215th Street. Upon conducting an investigation into social media accounts associated with individuals living at that address, officers obtained a search warrant for the residence.
During the search, the police discovered a pair of shoes believed to have been worn by the suspect during the incident. Following interviews with individuals at the location, the police were able to gather information that led them to a house in the Bronx where they arrested Spraggins at approximately 9 p.m.
Spraggins has been charged with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon, and obstruction of government administration.
The police have also recovered a 9mm handgun, magazine, and shell casing, and they will conduct ballistics tests to determine whether they match the weapon used to shoot Officer Boller.
James Essig, NYPD’s Chief of Detectives, stated that he has worked with the suspect’s father for 15 years and every police officer feels a sense of urgency to help when they learn that an officer has been shot while on duty. He added that it is challenging to describe the emotional impact of an incident like this. He commended the detective bureau for their outstanding work in solving the case swiftly.
The officer, Brett Boller, received medical attention at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center following the shooting, and he is expected to remain hospitalized for several days, possibly until next week. Although he faces an arduous path to recovery, he is expected to fully recuperate.
One of the bones connecting his hip to his leg was shattered, which caused damage to his femoral artery, the primary blood vessel to his leg. His condition is stable, but he must undergo rehabilitation for several months to restore his right leg’s function. The shooting prompted a frenzied rush to the hospital, and a video circulating among law enforcement officials depicts the wounded officer lying on the pavement while other officers use a tourniquet to stem the bleeding.
Five officers were seen in a cell phone video lifting Officer Brett Boller into a police van, which quickly drove away with several police vehicles in pursuit.
Another video showed the police van going the wrong way down 161st Street and being temporarily blocked by a double-parked vehicle. In the video, someone jumped into the driver’s seat of the car and reversed it out of the way, with the driver’s side door still open.
Boller underwent surgery at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center and is expected to make a full recovery, but faces months of rehabilitation for his right leg. Boller, who graduated from Hauppauge High School in 2018 and just graduated from the police academy in December, comes from a law enforcement family.
His father is a detective in Brooklyn. According to Hauppauge School District Dr. Don Murphy, Boller was a star athlete and captained many of his school’s teams. His shooting has devastated the community.
Suspect Devin Spraggins arrested in connection for the attempted murder of NYPD Officer Brett Boller