A 26-year-old NYPD officer, Adeed Fayaz, was shot while off-duty during a robbery on Saturday, Feb 4. According to city and police officials, Fayaz has died at Brookdale University Hospital. He had served as a police officer for five years and is survived by his wife and two children.
NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell expressed his condolences, tweeting: “Police Officer Adeed Fayaz was a father, a husband, a son, and a protector of our great city. Officer Fayaz was shot Saturday night, and he tragically succumbed to his injuries today. Our Department deeply mourns his passing, and his family and loved ones are in our prayers.”
Officers have lined up to pay their respects as Fayaz’s body is transferred from the hospital to the medical examiner’s office. The Pakistan Consulate in New York also issued a statement, expressing their condolences to Fayaz’s family and friends.
The 38-year-old man suspected of shooting Fayaz has been identified as Randy Jones. He has since been arrested in Rockland County, New York. He was found hiding out in a Days Inn and was taken into custody using Fayaz’s handcuffs. He has since been charged with murder and attempted robbery.
Mayor Eric Adams had said Saturday that Fayaz was “fighting for his life.”
According to authorities, Fayaz and his brother-in-law had made arrangements via Facebook Marketplace to meet up with Jones to buy a car.
Upon the meeting, Jones allegedly put Fayaz in a headlock and pointed a gun at him, demanding money. Fayaz broke free, and Jones shot him in the head. Fayaz’s brother-in-law took Fayaz’s gun and fired six shots before Jones fled in a 2011 BMW.
Police are also investigating Jones’s involvement in several Facebook Marketplace robberies.