A Harlem man was taken into custody and charged with the murder of an off-duty NYPD officer who had met his killer late Saturday to purchase a vehicle on Facebook Marketplace.
Police said that Randy “Popper” Jones, 38, opened fire at Officer Adeed Fayaz in a dark Brooklyn alley in an attempt to rob him of the $24,000 he had with him.
Fayaz was hit in the temple while his brother-in-law who accompanied him, pulled the fallen officer's weapon from its holster and fired back at Jones, prompting him to run away.
Jones was tracked down Monday to a Rockland County hotel and was apprehended with Fayaz's handcuffs. Fayaz remained on life-support until Tuesday when he was pronounced dead.
“It's a difficult day,” Police Association President Patrick Lynch said. “You see police officers standing shoulder to shoulder with tears in their eyes.”
“This was a police officer who loved his job. Since he was a young person, he wanted to become not just a police officer, but a New York City police officer. He was viciously gunned down in the streets of Brooklyn.”
