An off-duty New York Police Department officer was stabbed in the hand by a stranger early Wednesday morning in Queens, according to authorities.
The 30-year-old officer was walking with a friend on Bell Boulevard near 39th Avenue in Bayside around 12:50 a.m. when two unknown men approached them from behind. Sources said one of the individuals spoke in Spanish, but the victim did not understand him.
The suspect then brandished a knife and stabbed the officer in his right hand, police reported. Following the assault, the two suspects fled north on Bell Boulevard. Police described one suspect as wearing a black shirt and blue jeans, and the other as wearing a red shirt and blue jeans. Both remained at large hours after the incident.
The injured officer was transported to a local hospital in stable condition. Investigators are continuing to search for the two individuals involved in the attack.