Press Release

QUEENS MAN INDICTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER IN SHOOTING OF NYPD OFFICER

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced that Devin Spraggins was indicted by a grand jury and arraigned today on two counts of attempted murder in the first degree and other charges in connection with the April 5 confrontation with NYPD officers in which rookie Officer Brett Boller was shot.

District Attorney Katz said: “The brazen shooting of a police officer in broad daylight will not go unanswered. I want to thank the staff from my office that assisted in the investigation with the NYPD and federal law enforcement to quickly apprehend the defendant. We will not let up in our efforts to get guns off the street and keep our officers and communities safe.”

Spraggins, 22, of Jamaica, was arraigned on an indictment charging him with two counts of attempted murder in the first degree; two counts of attempted murder in the second degree; two counts of assault in the first degree; aggravated assault of a police officer; assault of a police officer; attempted assault in the first degree; two counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree; menacing a police officer; two counts of tampering with physical evidence; obstructing governmental administration in the second degree; and assault in the third degree. Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder ordered Spraggins to return to court on June 5.

If convicted, Spraggins faces up to 40 years to life in prison for each charge of attempted murder in the first degree.

According to the charges:

• On April 5, at approximately 3:20 p.m., Spraggins punched a fellow passenger on an MTA bus traveling on Jamaica Avenue near 160th Street. The bus driver flagged down NYPD Officer Boller and his partner, Officer Anthony Rock, for assistance.

• The officers tried to talk to Spraggins at the front door of the bus, but he pushed Officer Rock and ran off. Officers Boller and Rock chased Spraggins.

• As Officer Boller caught up to Spraggins, the defendant turned and shot him. After Officer Boller fell to the ground, Spraggins continued to point the gun at him attempting to fire. Moments later, Spraggins racked the slide of the gun, took a shooter’s stance and pointed the gun at Officer Rock.

• After shooting Officer Boller, the defendant ran into a parking garage. Video surveillance showed him removing his black jacket and sweatshirt and leaving in a white T-shirt.

• Police found a shell casing near the shooting scene and a magazine loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition at the corner of Jamaica Avenue and 161st Street, where Spraggins was running before the shooting.

Security camera video footage showed Spraggins at 161st Street and Hillside Avenue getting into a black Nissan, identified as a Lyft for-hire vehicle, that took him to a residence on 215th Street.

A search warrant was executed at the property on April 6 and information obtained at the home led law enforcement to a Bronx address where Spraggins was arrested.

Officer Boller, 22, underwent surgery for his gunshot injuries at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center. Officer Rock, also a 22-year-old rookie on the force, was not injured during the incident.

The investigation was conducted by the NYPD and the US Marshals Fugitive Task Force.

Assistant District Attorney Kanella Georgopoulos and Assistant District Attorney Eric Weinstein, of the District Attorney’s Career Criminal Major Crimes Bureau, are prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Michael Whitney, Senior Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Major Crimes Shawn Clark.

Criminal complaints and indictments are accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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