An allegedly armed teenager was shot multiple times by police officers on a rooftop in Brownsville last night. According to police, a sergeant and an officer responded to a call of shots fired on the roof of 2292 Atlantic Avenue at around 9:30 p.m. The officers say they saw 16-year-old Gino Mercado and 22-year-old James Capeles on an adjacent rooftop, and opened fire. Mercado was shot in both arms and his right ankle, Capeles was uninjured. Police say they found a Ruger revolver at the scene.
Mercado was transported to Brookdale Hospital in stable condition, and his injuries are not expected to be life-threatening. An NYPD spokesman could not say how many shots the officers fired in total, nor could he provide the charges against Mercado and Capeles, adding that a shooting briefing would be held later today. Both officers were treated for tinnitus, and per department policy, have been placed on a paid leave of absence until the shooting is investigated.
A relative of Mercado's told the Daily News that the two were shooting "dummy bullets" on the roof. “They were up on the roof shooting for fun. It wasn’t real bullets. It was dummy bullets. They were just shooting up in the air.”
