Metro

Jealous husband who allegedly shot pantless B’klyn cop after catching him with estranged wife turns self in

An off-duty married Brooklyn cop — his pants and belt on the floor — was shot twice in the same shoulder with his own service revolver by a New Jersey man who had just caught him with his estranged wife in the family’s kitchen, sources said yesterday.

Detective Louis Pepe, a 16-year NYPD veteran assigned to the 63rd Precinct in Flatlands, was “grazed” by the bullets Friday night inside the house on a tree-lined street in Manalapan, a source said.

Pepe, who lives on Staten Island with his own wife, was treated at a hospital and released soon after the 11:30 p.m. shooting, authorities said.

Robert Dunbar, 35, who happened to be staying on Staten Island while separated from Deborah Dunbar and their kids, allegedly barged through the back door and ran into his wife.

He turned violent after spotting Pepe in his compromising position, a law-enforcement source said.

“Robert lunged after him, trying to fight him — and a three-way struggle ensued,” the source explained. “They all fell to the ground. That’s when he reached for the officer’s .38-caliber and pumped a few rounds after him.

“After he fired the shots, he fled.”

The couple’s son and two daughters, all under age 6, were sleeping elsewhere in the house, according to the sources.

A relative later picked them up and took them to a safe location.

Dunbar turned himself in late Saturday night and faces charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, according to Monmouth County authorities.

Monmouth County Prosecutor Chris Gramiccioni says Dunbar was taken to Monmouth County Correctional Institute in Freehold Township, with bail set at $500,000. There’s no immediate word on whether he has an attorney.

One neighbor said everyone was aware of the marital strife in the Dunbar home.

“We all knew there were some problems going on,” said Paul Toscano who has lived on the block for 30 years.

“We knew they were separated and that Robert wasn’t welcomed.”

“I knew those two were headed for a permanent split when I saw the ‘For Sale’ sign go up on their house a month or two ago,” Toscano added. “The sign was the last straw.”

Another neighbor, Kevin McCann, 49, said the flurry of police activity was a shocking sight for the leafy suburb.

“There were police officers and squad cars lining the streets. I’ve never seen that here before,” said McCann. “They brought out helicopters to help look for Robert too.

“When you’re out here in Manalapan, you think you’re safe from psychos, but that’s obviously not the case today.”

Additional reporting by Rebecca Harshbarger and AP