An off-duty Border Patrol agent was shot in the face by an illegal immigrant in a robbery gone wrong – before the agent fired back in dramatic scenes on Saturday.
The federal agent, 42, was sitting in Fort Washington Park, Manhattan, when he was approached by two men on a moped attempting to rob him just before midnight.
One of the immigrants took out a gun after a brief commotion and fired at the agent, hitting him in the face and left forearm.
The victim, who was sitting on a rock with a female friend, quickly reacted and took out his own gun and shot at the two men.
The 42-year-old is expected to survive his injuries – but is currently in hospital.
His bullets hit a Dominican national, who has been living illegally in the US since 2023. He has been taken into custody. The second suspect has not been found.
Members of the NYPD use evidence markers to indicate where shell casings and other evidence are found at the scene where an off-duty border patrol agent is wounded in a shooting at Fort Washington Park in Manhattan
A gun was found at the scene in the Manhattan park on Sunday morning
A backpack was also found. It is unclear who it belonged to
The 42-year-old victim is expected to survive his injuries – but is currently in hospital
A crime scene was set up in the early hours of Sunday morning – and police with the NYPD were seen sweeping the park for shell casings and evidence.
There is still a large police presence inside the park and underneath the George Washington Bridge.
A firearm was found at the scene – as well as a backpack, along with a wallet and jacket. It’s unclear who they belonged to.
The frightening ordeal comes amid the White House’s massive deportation push. Trump is continuing full steam ahead to try and remove the over 10 million migrants who illegally entered the country under President Joe Biden.
The Department of Homeland Security said the administration has carried out 239,000 deportations since Trump’s inauguration in January.
New York City in particular felt the brunt of the immigration crisis over the last five years because it is a sanctuary city – with hundreds of thousands of migrants arriving in the Big Apple seeking shelter and asylum.
The Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown was set up as a makeshift registration center and shelter for immigrant families who had arrived in the US through the southern border and made their way to the Democratic city to start their new life.
As well as eating away at public facilities, New York City’s migrant crisis cost taxpayers $10million every day – with Mayor Eric Adams giving migrant families prepaid debit cards worth a total of $18,500 each.
