Craig Bier
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A career criminal suspected of shooting a decorated NYPD sergeant in the legs turned himself in yesterday, cops said.
Authorities had hunted across five states — covering several hundred addresses — for John Thomas, 24, after he allegedly wounded Sgt. Craig Bier in Jamaica, Queens, during a chase on Aug. 8, law-enforcement sources said.
Accompanied by a lawyer, Thomas surrendered at 7 p.m. in the parking lot of an auto-supply store. Thomas was charged this morning with attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon and assault. He’s expected to appear in a Queens courtroom later today.
Thomas was charged with second-degree counts of attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon and assault in the first degree.
On the night of the shooting, Thomas — who has 11 busts, mostly for drug charges — was allegedly acting suspiciously when Bier, 44, and Detective Nick Romano tried to question him. Thomas ran off, and the two cops chased him.
Thomas fired four times at Bier, cops said. Bier, who has received 65 medals over his 15-year career, was struck once in each leg.
Investigators identified Thomas was the shooter after finding a fingerprint on either a 9mm handgun or magazine left at the scene, the sources said.
Bier’s mother, Betty, whose ex-husband, Richard, was also wounded while serving in the NYPD, told The Post she was elated her son’s alleged shooter was captured.
“I got goose bumps,” she said.
“I am very relieved that he’s off the streets. I just hope that he doesn’t get out ever. He put the family through a lot of pain and suffering.”