16-year-old charged with attempted murder after NYPD officer shot and wounded overnight in the Bronx, police say

An NYPD officer is home from the hospital after he was shot on the job early Tuesday morning.

Police are still searching for two suspects.

Police say the bullet narrowly missed a vital artery, but the officer is expected to make a full recovery. We're told he and his partner were patrolling an area that's known for gun violence when they were caught in not one but two shootings.

NYPD Officer Paul Lee left Saint Barnabas Hospital to a row of applause Tuesday, and pushing his wheelchair was the same partner who rushed him to the emergency room hours earlier.

"The partner, realizing that the partner was shot, jumped into action, drove the car, lights and siren on, on the radio giving description, calling for help, notifying Barnabas Hospital," PBA President Pat Lynch said.

Lee and his partner were patrolling the Belmont section of the Bronx overnight in an unmarked police car. Around 3 a.m., they spotted two teens on the corner of Prospect Avenue and East 183rd Street, so they drove over.

"Before they even have a chance to exit their car, shots are fired at their vehicle," NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said.

Investigators say one of the teens fired six times, piercing the cops' windshield and striking Lee's left arm.

Responding officers later recovered a 32-caliber gun from the scene and took the 16-year-old suspected shooter into custody. The person he was standing with got away.

The teen has been charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon.

"A lot of gun violence, a lot of shooting. It's happened before around here," said a store owner in the area.

Detectives say the block where this happened is notorious for gang violence, though it's unclear if this shooting is gang-related.

Lee and his partner were assigned to the area by the NYPD Public Safety unit.

"They're tasked with handling violent crimes, getting guns off the street and such, and him and his partner were doing, they did their jobs to the fullest," Deputy Inspector Joseph de Leo said.

Seconds after Lee was shot, police say a second unrelated shooting broke out just a few feet away. Nobody was injured in that incident.

The alleged shooter is a 16-year-old boy. Police say he fired at two officers who were patrolling a Bronx neighborhood prone to gang activity.

Two other suspects are still being sought.

Officer Paul Lee was hailed a hero as he was released from St. Barnabas Hospital on Tuesday, just hours after getting shot in the arm.

The three-year NYPD veteran was pushed by his partner to a waiting van.

"What we saw when we watched the body-worn camera and video from shops is a police officer realizing he was shot and still running toward danger," PBA President Pat Lynch said.

Lee and his partner are on the Public Safety Team, tasked with removing guns from the street. At around 3 a.m., they heard shots coming from the corner of East 183rd Street and Prospect Avenue, where two men were standing, police said.

"As they pull up, one of them fires at least six times, striking the windshield and our officer, who was seated in the passenger seat," Chief of Detectives James Essig said.

Police said both of them returned fire. Responding officers arrested a 16-year-old boy and recovered .32-caliber gun.

During the mayhem, police say two more shots were fired a short distance away, but surveillance video suggests they were not directed towards police.

"It clearly emphasizes, too many young people have too many guns in their hands. Our job is to create a pathway to stop that," Mayor Eric Adams said.

Joseph De Leo, the commanding officer of the 48th Precinct, said that's exactly what Lee was doing.

"They are tasked with handling violent crimes, getting guns off the street. He and his partner did exactly that, their jobs to the fullest tonight," De Leo said.

Sources told CBS2 the 16-year-old has refused to answer any questions. His name has not shown up in the gang database and he has no priors.

Again, police are still searching for two other suspects.

An NYPD officer remains hospitalized after police say he was shot by a teenager. 

Police say a 16-year-old boy is now in custody, and they're searching for two other suspects.

"It was crazy," Bronx resident Armando Remos said. 

Remos said he was walking on East 183rd Street and Prospect Avenue just before 3 a.m. when he noticed two men in ski masks and knew something was off. 

"They were really just on the hunt. It was just right there on the corner," he said. 

Little did he know, those two people were likely involved in the shooting that injured the officer in an unmarked car. The officer was patrolling the neighborhood with his partner when they noticed two men. 

"As they pull up, at least one male fires at least six times, striking the windshield and our officer, who was seated in the passenger seat,"  said NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig.

The officer was struck in the upper left arm. That didn't stop him and his partner from jumping out and returning fire toward the two male suspects. They then chased the two, capturing one of them -- a 16-year-old boy. 

More gunshots also rang out moments later in the same neighborhood. 

"These shots, based on preliminary video, are not directed toward the pursuing officers," Essig said.

The chaotic moments turned East 183rd Street between Crotona Avenue and Southern Boulevard into a massive crime scene. Multiple shell casings and bullet holes in cars could be seen up and down the street. 

Dozens of detectives searched high and low for the other suspects, but their efforts, for now, resulted in no luck. 

"Look at the scenario -- 16 years old, officer shot, another individual potentially is armed. The officer was doing his job," Mayor Eric Adams said. 

A deli owner across the street said he didn't hear the shots, but his business was caught up in gun violence last year when a bullet pierced through the glass near the entrance.

"They have to do something about it. They've got to do gun control, they've got to know where the guns come from," he said.

The officer, whose identity has not been released, is at Saint Barnabas Hospital in stable condition and is expected to make a full recovery. 

The NYPD and Mayor Eric Adams held a press conference to provide more details on the investigation. 

Police said two uniformed officers in an unmarked car pulled up to the intersection of 183rd Street and Prospect Avenue and came under fire. 

"As they pull up, at least one male fires at least six times, striking the windshield and our officer, who was seated in the passenger seat,"  NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig told reporters. 

Police said two more shots were fired around the same time, but they do not believe those were meant for the officers. 

"These shots, based on preliminary video, are not directed toward the pursuing officers," Essig said.

Police said a 16-year-old was taken into custody in the initial shooting, and they are still looking for two other suspects. A 32-caliber gun was recovered on the scene. 

Mayor Eric Adams said he spoke with the injured officer, who "is proud to have done his job."

"It clearly emphasizes, too many young people have too many guns in their hands," said the mayor. "Our job is to create a pathway to stop that and to ensure that we remove these guns off our streets."

CBS2's Elijah Westbrook is on the scene in the Belmont section as the investigation continues. 

Police said officers were responding to shots fired when a gunman opened fire on them. 

It happened around 3 a.m. on East 183rd Street between Prospect Avenue and Southern Boulevard. 

Police said the injured officer was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital in stable condition. 

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to a conviction in the case.