Bronx chase and shootout leave 1 dead, NYPD officer injured

A shootout Tuesday night between police and a man in the Bronx has left one man dead.

News 12 Staff

May 11, 2022, 9:13 AM

Updated 882 days ago

Share:

A shootout Tuesday night between police and a man in the Bronx has left one man dead.
Police say the 25-year-old man identified as Rameek Smith, who allegedly fired a gun at police, has died. According to the NYPD, two of its officers were patrolling in uniform when one officer approached Smith standing near 3rd Avenue and Claremont Parkway.
Smith immediately took off running and one officer chased the man on foot and the other followed by car. The chase continued onto Bathgate Avenue until gunshots erupted. Smith was shot in the head and Officer Dennis Vargas was shot in the arm.
The suspect was pronounced dead Wednesday morning. The officer was seen leaving Lincoln Hospital early this morning.  Police recovered a firearm from the scene.
Police say the alleged shooter had an extensive criminal history. Smith was awaiting sentencing for a 2020 gun possession charge at a Coney Island Subway station where he jumped the turnstile and was discovered covering a stolen gun.
Mayor Eric Adams said incidents like this are why he is pushing to get guns off the streets. The mayor and the police commissioner are expected to announce a plan to reduce the flow of illegals weapons off the steets today.