NEW YORK: A New York City police officer was shot to death early today, ambushed in a marked police truck and "assassinated in an unprovoked attack" by a man with a revolver who was later killed by officers, police said.
Officer Miosotis Familia, a 12-year member of the department, was wrapping up her shift when the man fired one round through the passenger-side window and struck her in the head. She was rushed to a hospital but did not survive.
"This was an unprovoked direct attack on police officers who were assigned to keep the people of this city safe,"
Police Commissioner James O'Neill said, calling it an assassination.
Her partner radioed for help.
"Shots fired! 10-85!" the officer is heard frantically shouting after the gunfire, including the code for an officer down. "My partner's shot! My partner's shot! My partner's shot! Hurry up central!"
Officers responded fast, and caught up to the suspect, 34-year-old Alexander Bonds, about a block away, police said.
As they confronted him, he pulled a revolver, and police fired, striking and killing him. A silver revolver was found at the scene. A bystander was hit in the stomach by a bullet during the standoff and is in stable condition, police said.
Familia had been stationed in a mobile command post, a RV-sized truck used as a communications hub during major events, like the Fourth of July. She had been looking down, writing in her memo book, a police log where officers record their shift activity, when Bonds walked up.
Bonds, who also went by John Bonds, had been on parole for a robbery case in Syracuse, New York, but was from the Bronx, police said. He is seen in surveillance footage marching up to the post "with purpose," officials said, but it's not clear what provoked the attack.