NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A “career criminal” who shot an NYPD detective during an hours-long standoff at a Lower East Side apartment building last month was indicted on a slew of charges including attempted murder, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Monday.
Edwin Rivera was inside a sixth-floor apartment at 384 Madison St., located inside NYCHA’s Vladeck Houses, at about 5:04 a.m. on Feb. 18 when an NYPD Emergency Services Unit team attempted to execute a gun-related search warrant, authorities said.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at the time that the officers “were immediately fired upon by the perpetrator.” Rivera, 34, allegedly fired five to six rounds, striking a ballistic shield.
Officers did not return fire, and instead repositioned themselves in the hallway while Rivera barricaded himself in the apartment using a couch, according to Tisch. Prosecutors said that at this time, Rivera also threw a bag of drugs through his window and onto the street.
Police spoke to Rivera directly for about three hours over FaceTime to negotiate his surrender, but when they lost communication at about 8:18 a.m., Tisch said that the ESU team moved in to try and move the couch.
Law enforcement reentered the apartment and Rivera allegedly fired again, hitting a detective in the shoulder. Another officer returned fire and Rivera was struck in the leg and torso, prosecutors said. He was then placed under arrest.
Both the detective and Rivera were hospitalized at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue for treatment.
“We have absolutely no tolerance for any conduct that harms police officers, and the charges in this indictment reflect the seriousness with which we are treating this incident,” Bragg said. “I want to thank the members of the NYPD who put on their uniforms every day to selflessly protect New Yorkers. Their jobs are incredibly dangerous, and I hope the detective who was shot will continue to recover from his injuries.”
Rivera is charged with four counts of attempted murder, two counts of attempted assault, and drug and weapons charges.
According to Tisch, Rivera is a convicted felon with multiple prior arrests for gun possession and narcotics. He has been on parole four times and was on parole at the time of the standoff.
He was also busted on Nov. 6, 2024—during this same stint of active parole—for criminal possession of stolen property and resisting arrest, Tisch said. He was only charged with resisting arrest, though neither charge would have been a felony or bail eligible, prosecutors said.
“The shooting of a uniformed police officer is an attack on our entire city,” Tisch said. “This indictment serves as a stark reminder of the dangers that NYPD police officers face every day while working to keep New York City safe. As their noble work continues, we remain committed to closely collaborating with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to ensure that those who endanger the security of New Yorkers are held fully accountable.”