New York Daily News – by Kerry Burke, Thomas Tracy
Cops swatted a .40-caliber Glock out of a drunken state narcotics agent’s hand Friday night after he shot two drinking buddies on the Upper West Side, authorities and witnesses said.
Amsterdam Ave. erupted in gunfire and blood-curdling screams just after 9 p.m. when Victor Zambrano Jr., 49, shot a 31-year-old woman in the left foot and the woman’s 42-year-old boyfriend in the right calf during an argument over his weapon, neighbors and police sources said.
The three pals had been drinking together and were walking on Amsterdam Ave. near W. 82nd St. when the woman asked the New York State Bureau of Narcotics enforcement agent for his pistol, a police source said.
Zambrano handed it over, but quickly demanded it back, cop sources said. As the argument became increasingly heated, the agent fired a round. The bullet ricocheted off the concrete and hit both the woman and her boyfriend.
SAM COSTANZA FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWSA NYPD plainclothes sergeant (left) knocked the gun out of the hand of a state narcotics agent, who was then arrested in front of his Amsterdam Ave. apartment building.“We do not know if he was shooting at them or just shooting,” a police source said. “Everyone involved is really drunk.”
As diners along Amsterdam Ave.’s restaurant row ducked for cover, the narcotics investigator bolted.
The boyfriend chased after him, and Zambrano allegedly turned to shoot but misfired — causing a live round to fall to the ground as he ran toward W. 83rd St., stunned witnesses aid.
“(The shooter) was f—– up … he was drunk,” said one witness, who did not want to be named.
Plainclothes cops surrounded Zambrano outside Bustan on Amsterdam Ave. near W. 84th St., but the suspect wouldn’t give up his gun, which he now was holding under a Yankees jacket.
After a few tense moments, a cop knocked the gun out of Zambrano’s hand and tackled him, witnesses said.
SAM COSTANZA FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWSTwo people, who had been drinking in the Upper West Side, were shot after tussling with a narcotics agent over his firearm. ‘Everyone involved is really drunk,’ a source said.“They were shouting ‘Drop the gun! Drop the gun!’ but he wouldn’t,” one witness said. “A cop knocked it down and wrestled him the ground.”
It was not entirely clear why the woman wanted Zambrano’s gun, but early reports suggested she was concerned about his intoxication level.
Zambrano, who lives in the neighborhood, was taken to the 20th Precinct stationhouse. Charges were pending early Saturday.
SAM COSTANZA FOR NEW YORK DAILY NEWSA pistol is recovered near the scene of a shooting and police confrontation with an armed, drunken narcotics agent.“He got drunk and did something stupid,” the agent’s son Vic Zambrano III, 22, said as he entered the stationhouse. “It just escalated. It could easily have been prevented.”
In 2008, Zambrano was named in a New York State Department of the Inspector General report about Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement agents ignoring parking summonses left on their vehicles with state-issued parking placards.
The agent had racked up 11 summonses totaling $1,015 for improper parking, officials said. He was informed of the outstanding summonses by the Inspector General’s office, but had not paid them by the time the report was finished.
With Rocco Parascandola
Cop knocked the gun from his hand…….WTF if it had been a mundane, he would have 10 bullets in his head while the cop would be shouting “stop resisting, stop resisting”. I’m sure this will be ruled an accidental shooting, with no penalties because once again the stinking blue line takes care of their own. Too bad a concealed carry person didn’t happen along and take out the shooter, before he could harm others.
“They were shouting ‘Drop the gun! Drop the gun!’ but he wouldn’t,” one witness said. “A cop knocked it down and wrestled him the ground.”
The ONLY explanation for them NOT killing him is: they HAD to know he was a cop.
My thoughts exactly,if it had been a citizen they all would have shot him so full of holes identification would be hard to do! Ok lets hear about how they are not all bad blablablabla!
Agreed.
I made up my mind long ago…I feel I am highly trained in firearm use, but if I choose to drink heavily, then dont carry and keep firearms out of reach. Since I do not want to put my firearm out of reach, I made the decision to not drink, or at least drink lightly when I do. The Bible does not say anything about drinking a bit of beer or wine, but it does say drunkenness leads to problems.
Altho, did you see that scene from tombstone?…I love it..its only 19 seconds long..I simply love it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u5A0H6PkqE
Here’s a different version of the story (says he didn’t even know the two that were wounded):
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/14/nyregion/bystanders-injured-in-manhattan-in-off-duty-officers-tussle-for-gun.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&_r=0
Cops know there own and protect them. Were was the 80 bullets to the face? What will the cover up say about this? Drunk and gun with him. Proves what we know and say about the police. No way to be freinds with them, and fear for your life in site of them. Be sure and bring your kids inside if you see one near were you live. Cop always ready to set a higher standard for others to follow. Then they say we need more cops to help the crime.