Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
[UPDATE] Long Island Cop Fatally Shot On Queens Border, Suspect Still At Large
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 23, 2012
Modified Oct 23, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 23, 2012
Modified Oct 23, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
[UPDATE BELOW]
A Nassau County police officer was killed earlier today during a shootout on the Cross Island Parkway in Queens that also left one suspect dead. The unidentified officer, who worked with the Emergency Services Unit, was shot once shortly after 11 a.m. and pronounced dead at North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital. One source tells the Wall Street Journal that the officer had "pulled a car over at about 11:10 am at the entrance ramp to the parkway at 241st Street and Jamaica Avenue."
In addition to the fatally shot suspect, police are searching for a second suspect, who remains at large, and the Cross Island was closed in both directions because of the investigation. The shooting took place right on the border between Nassau County and Queens, near the Belmont Race Track. It's still unclear what prompted the shooting or the traffic stop, but we'll update as more information becomes available. A spokesperson for the Nassau County Police Department tells Newsday, "We're trying to sort it out."
Update 4:09 p.m.: Police sources tell the Post that the officer, identified as Artie Lopez, had pulled over a vehicle that matched a hit-and-run driver in Nassau County. Paul Walcott, a music producer from Bayside, Queens, witnessed the traffic stop from a nearby gas station and tells the AP, "The officer's walking up to the car. They just pulled out (a gun) and shot. He went right down. He got hit point blank. He went straight down. In broad daylight, this time of day, it was incredible to see something like that."
The traffic stop occurred at the southbound entrance ramp to the parkway, near a Mobil gas station. Brandon Ramos, who works near the location, tells Newsday, "As I was walking upstairs, I heard a huge boom. I ran outside and I saw a cop lying on the floor, on his back, and the other officer was administering CPR... He was shot in the chest. He was motionless. The other cop looked really distraught."
The suspect sped off, but the vehicle already had four blown tires, and sources tell the Post "he ditched his ride and car-jacked another vehicle near Hempstead Avenue and the Cross Island Parkway, where he fatally shot the driver." He subsequently ditched that vehicle in Cambria Heights and fled on foot. He remains at large.
Tagged
Belmont
cop shot
long island
nassau county
police shooting
queens
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man charged with hate crime at Jewish-owned bagel shop displaying Israeli flags
Prosecutors say the 22-year-old damaged property outside the Fresh Meadows shop twice in May.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 6:07 p.m. ET
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
News
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
High-ranking NYC officials to testify in ex-buildings boss Eric Ulrich's corruption trial
By
David Brand
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
By
Caroline Lewis
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .