Officer Richards’ gun clip that stopped the bullet. (DCPI)
Another NYPD officer narrowly escaped a bullet today after a firefight erupted in lower Manhattan, police said.
Officers Thomas Richards and Thomas Dunne had just gotten out of their police van at 1:44 a.m. on Columbia Street in lower Manhattan when they were approached by Luis Martinez, police said.
Martinez, 25, began firing at the officers – one shot hit Richards’ bullet pouch, narrowly missing his stomach “by an inch” Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said this morning.
“We are lucky again — another miracle,” he added. “If it had been up an inch, it would’ve been right into the officer’s body and this was a fully loaded 9 mm handgun.”
The officers chased Martinez for about a block as the gunman continued to exchange fire with the cops, Kelly said.
Martinez was shot in the upper right leg after turning to fire at the officers while fleeing, police said.
Emergency responders said they were able to track Martinez by his blood trail to his apartment in the Baruch Housing complex.
Police recovered Martinez’ 9mm Taurus handgun from the building’s trash compactor.
NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said that during the initial confrontation, the shooter fired three times and Richards responded with at least five shots.
One of bullets appeared to strike the shooter, Browne said.
While cops were chasing the gunman, he turned and fired a fourth time — but the weapon jammed.
Dunne fired a total of 11 times during exchange, police said.
Both officers were taken to Beth Israel Hospital and later released. Martinez was taken to Bellevue Hospital and is in stable condition, police said.
Kelly met with both officers this morning and said they were in good spirits.
“It was a very close call for Officer Richards,” Kelly said. “The magazine may have well saved his life.”
The illegal gun the perp used was bought in Newport News, Va., in August 2010 by a woman with no known current address, police said. They had no other details, except to add that the guns used in the two previous cop shootings also were bought out-of-state.
Martinez, who celebrated his birthday two days ago, told neighbors he goes to Baruch College.
“Every time I talk to him, he’s either on his way to school or on his way back to school,” said resident Anthony Young, 20.
Young said the suspect was known for wearing flashing leather coats.
He and other neighbors said they would frequently smell pot emanating from Martinez’s apartment.
“The smell of marijuana would seep through the doors — there were always people in and out, in and out,” said resident Desney Scoby, 16. “We don’t associate with people like that.”
Today’s firefight follows a recent rash of cop shootings.
On Friday, two cops were promoted after both survived being shot in separate incidents.
Detective Kevin Herlihy, 47, who fatally blasted career criminal Michael McBride in Harlem on Feb. 14 despite taking a bullet in the arm, was boosted to first-grade detective.
Detective Kevin Brennan, 29, who was shot in Brooklyn on Jan. 31. Gangbanger Luis “Baby” Ortiz has been accused of pulling the trigger.
Kelly cited Brennan’s “stunning valor” as he promoted the seven-year veteran from officer to detective at Police Headquarters.
In December, Officer Peter Figoski was tragically shot and killed while responding to a call in Brooklyn.
Additional reporting by Natasha Velez