Camani Barletto, 18, has been identified and charged with attempted murder and a string of other offenses in connection with an incident where a veteran NYPD detective was shot by friendly fire in Crown Heights. The shooting occurred Sunday morning when Barletto allegedly approached an unmarked police car carrying four uniformed officers while brandishing a firearm.
According to authorities, the encounter took place around 4:15 a.m. As Barletto displayed the gun, three of the four officers in the vehicle discharged their weapons. Preliminary reports indicate that the officers missed the suspect but inadvertently struck Detective Robert Karroll, who was in the back of the vehicle. Detective Karroll, a married father of three, was reportedly just 10 days away from retirement. He was struck in the back but was protected by his bulletproof vest, sustaining a non-fatal wound.
The unmarked police car sustained multiple bullet impacts during the chaotic confrontation. A female officer also sustained minor injuries. Detective Karroll was released from the hospital the same day and is expected to make a full recovery.
Barletto, a resident of West Orange, New Jersey, faces two counts of attempted murder, two counts of weapons possession, two counts of reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief. The incident occurred in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.