Police shot a man who they say was brandishing a gun in the Bronx on Monday afternoon. Officers said that they got a report of a man with a gun at Tinton Avenue between 165th and 166th streets in Morrisania at 3:43 p.m. When they arrived, they say they found the 29-year-old suspect with a pistol in his hand, and repeatedly demanded he drop the weapon. He allegedly failed to comply, and two officers opened fire, hitting him once in the arm.
Reports identified the suspect as George Watson, though a police spokesman said he could not name the suspect until he is charged. Paramedics transported the man to Lincoln Medical Center in stable condition.
Officers recovered a .22-caliber Ruger at the scene. A surveillance video from before police arrived shows a masked man throw down a long pole, march down the sidewalk holding what appears to be a handgun, and point the object at a person loading a van. The van-loader doesn't react, and after a brief detente with a small dog, the gunman moves on.
Watson's mother told the Daily News he was high, and that she'd warned him about combining drugs and guns.
"I told him to get rid of the gun," Maria Crooks said. "He was dusted. I told him not to mess with that. This is what you get when you mess with dust."
