Brooklyn shooting may involve friendly fire on NYC detective

A veteran New York City police detective was shot in the back during an early morning confrontation with an armed teenager in Brooklyn, an incident that police officials now say may have involved friendly fire. Detective Robert Karroll, who was just days from retirement, survived the shooting thanks to his ballistic vest.

The incident occurred shortly after 4 a.m. on Sunday, July 5, 2026, in the Crown Heights neighborhood. According to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, four officers assigned to a holiday violence reduction initiative were parked in an unmarked vehicle near Nostrand Avenue and St. Johns Place. An 18-year-old male suspect approached the vehicle. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators reportedly shows the suspect pacing on the sidewalk moments earlier, brandishing a 9mm handgun and pulling back the slide to chamber a round.

Officers exited the vehicle to confront the armed teen. Gunfire erupted, with three officers discharging their weapons. The police vehicle sustained multiple bullet strikes to its front and rear windshields and passenger side. The suspect was not hit. Detective Karroll was struck in the upper back, but his protective vest stopped the...