NYPD officers fired 19 shots at a man in Brooklyn following a gunfight with a rival.
In a dramatic incident captured on video, two officers from the 70th Precinct in Brooklyn engaged in a high-stakes confrontation with an armed suspect on the evening of August 12. The confrontation occurred around 7:30 p.m. on Ocean Avenue near Church Avenue in the Flatbush neighborhood. According to law enforcement officials, the conflict began when Aaron Richard, 35, allegedly struck Edynesson Bauduy, 22, in the face, igniting a gunfire exchange in which neither individual was injured.
While Richard fled the scene, Bauduy remained, prompting Officers Christopher Lopez and Maxima Ortiz-Bonilla, who were on patrol nearby, to respond quickly to the sounds of gunfire. Body-camera footage from the officers shows them pursuing Bauduy as they arrived at the scene. Amidst the chaos, Officer Lopez can be heard commanding, “Get down,” though it remains unclear whether he was addressing Bauduy or passersby, given that Bauduy was still armed.
The police engagement lasted approximately 12 seconds, culminating in Bauduy being shot in the leg. Officer Lopez discharged his weapon 16 times while Officer Ortiz-Bonilla fired three shots. Both officers acted swiftly in what they perceived to be a life-threatening situation.
Following the incident, law enforcement apprehended Richard, who faces federal charges related to firearms violations. Reports indicate that he had recently been paroled in April after completing a two-year sentence for a hate crime assault in Brooklyn. Bauduy, who was paroled in June after serving time for robbery and a prior shooting, is now also facing consequences for his involvement in this altercation.
The NYPD has made body camera footage and surveillance videos from the incident available on its YouTube channel, following protocol for transparency in officer-involved shootings. The department’s Force Investigation Division is set to evaluate the actions of both officers in this incident.
Officer Lopez and Officer Ortiz-Bonilla joined the NYPD in December 2021, becoming partners throughout their tenure. However, the department has not disclosed whether either officer has previously been involved in any shooting incidents.
This episode underscores the continuing challenges law enforcement faces in urban environments, as well as the critical importance of prompt and decisive action during potentially violent encounters. The public remains vigilant as the facts surrounding the encounter are further scrutinized and additional details emerge.
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