YUMA, Ariz. – There’s an ongoing battle on our streets, a war not fought for patriotism or liberty but for money and power. They use fear and terror as a weapon, sometimes resulting in death.
“Gangs are to be feared they operate with a pack mentality and exhibit great violence”, says Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Craig Kleffman.  According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation there are over 33,000 gangs across the united states with more than one million members. All of them use violence to control their turf and deal with illegal sources for profit. The Desert Southwest is no exception.

The Yuma Police Department says there are at least 13 gangs in Yuma. most they say are dormant but that has not stopped cases of extreme violence. It was a tragic end to 2015 as a 7 year old girl and 8 year old boy were shot on December 27th. As bullets filled the car they were in with their mother, who miraculously was not injured by the barrage of bullets The Yuma Police Department says it was gang related. Luckily the 2 children survived the horrific ordeal but are dealing with a long road of physical and mental recovery at a Phoenix hospital. YPD is still investigating the case.
“It’s kids, kids did nothing to nobody we hope someone saw something and will call us”, says YPD Sgt. Lori Franklin. It was a fatal start to 2016 with another gang related shooting, a 15 year old student at Yuma High School, Victor Sanchez was shot on January 9th in a quiet Yuma neighborhood. Witnesses described a drive by shooting with several shots fired in the middle of the night.  Sanchez was rushed to the hospital but died from his injuries 4 days later.  “The enhanced violence that comes with gang activity is absolutely incredible”, says Kleffman. Craig Kleffman has been prosecuting gangs for over 10 years and has published books on the topic, his views in this report are his own expertise and not on behalf of his employer.

The way modern street gangs across the country are organized and operate can be traced back to the city of angels. “Los Angeles is ground zero for gangs…the Hispanic gangs here go back 4 or 5 generations the violence has permeated into southern counties and the country, continent and the world”, says Kleffman. To understand what is being done to counter this gang violence in Yuma, 13 On Your Side rode along with the Yuma Police Department’s Special Operations Group for several nights.  Due to the advantage of secrecy and being unpredictable we won’t reveal their tactics in-depth.

The first night of our ride along suspected gang activity was unusually quiet. The reason may be just the day before the Special Operations Group made an elaborate arrest of a man they were after for a while, Enrique Corona Junior, who is now facing 15 felony charges with possible gang related weapon and drug charges. Our cameras were rolling at the seen On Thursday January 14th as he fled from police and then was surrounded at the Yuma Recycling Center as YPD and U.S. border patrol were taking no chances, equipped with tactical gear and even a helicopter they were able to bring him into custody without incident. Officer Joe Franklin with YPD says, “The only thing its [gang life] going to lead to is injury death or confinement in the state prisons.”

The following night on our ride along suspicious activity did increase slightly but it wasn’t until the early morning hours a gang related arrest was made, the call comes in just after 3 a.m. we rush to the scene with our cameras rolling. Police arrest three men in possession of meth. Officers say the three men are suspected of being part of a gang. Police say that drugs are commonly found on gang members. Drugs are a major part of gang operations. “When they come across a big surplus of drugs they will sell them to buy weapons etc.”, says Joe Franklin.

The Southwest border is a key asset for gangs and the drug trade, Kleffman says “Gangs will use the Southwest Border to bring in drugs, particularly Hispanic gangs, will get it at a lower wholesale price and bring it into their own networks usually in the prison system”. Prisons! The place where convicted criminals are supposed to go to pay for their crimes, a financial tool for gangs? According to the FBI and several other agencies Prison gangs often have a strong hold over illegal street gang activity and even earn more than street gangs from drug trafficking. “The amounts are 10 to 100 times street value”, says Kleffman.

Many gangs claim territory, its part of how they try and show their power and a factor that can lead to bloodshed, over territory disputes. Alot can be understood by tagging, its an act often associated with gangs. Many have their own unique mark and will try and claim an area but sometimes this act can help law enforcement gather information. Kleffman says, “It helps show where gangs are very active as well cus you can see it from their tagging”. When you see a mark crossed out it can be a sign of violence to come as Kleffman explains, “It means that they have killed or will kill that gang member”.

The Yuma Police Department says a person of just about any age can join a gang but officers have noticed many teenagers represent gangs, posing a concern at high schools to try and deter gang influences. “Certain gangs will claim a sports hat or type of clothing the schools will ban those types of things…” says Joe Franklin. The fight against gang recruitment may start at home. “Family, family, family take involvement in your child’s life the more you do that the less likely your kid will join a gang” says Kleffman. Joe Franklin adds, “It’s never too late to leave the gang life the Yuma Police Department just wants the whole community to be safe”. 13 On Your Side anchor Chorus Nylander askes Craig Kleffman “Do you think gangs will ever go away?” he responds, “No, we can reduce them but we can never ever eliminate them.”

To help the family of the 8 year old boy and 7 year old girl that were shot in Yuma, they have set up a gofundme page that you can visit here: https://www.gofundme.com/8fhbm2bw

YUMA, Ariz. – Since we brought you “Yuma’s Most Wanted” last week there have been some breaking developments. David Bernal Jr., who was convicted of attempted possession of dangerous drugs and criminal trespassing, has been taken back into custody by the Yuma Police Department on Thursday.

This week there is a new list of fugitives wanted for violating their parole. Be on the lookout for Mariza Andrea Munoz, she was convicted of theft. She is a 32-year-old Hispanic woman. Munoz is 5 feet 3 inches tall and 160 pounds. She has brown hair and hazel eyes.

The following fugitive was convicted of the unlawful use of a means of transportation, Alejandro Jose Urquijo is a 30-year-old Hispanic man 5 foot and 7 inches tall and weighs 175 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He may go by an alias he is known to use the names Alex Urquijo, Alex Fimbres or Urquijo-Fimbres. He has a skull tattoo on his right forearm and a cross on his left shoulder.

The next fugitive James Joseph Robles was convicted of aggravated assault. He is a 35-year-old Native American and stands at 5 feet 11 inches and is 400 pounds. Robles has black hair and brown eyes. He has three dots tattooed on his left hand, with the word “GWEN” on his neck.

The final fugitive is Jaime Joseph Tlapa, he’s a 32-year-old Hispanic man convicted of tampering with a witness. He is 5 feet 11 inches and 150 pounds. He may go by the alias “JJ” he has the words “HFR” and “Maritza” tattooed on his neck.

If you have any information about these fugitives you are encouraged to contact the Yuma Police Department or 78-crime, you are advised to not confront them on your own. Information that leads to an arrest could earn you a $1,000 reward.

Watch “Yuma’s Most Wanted” with anchor Chorus Nylander every Friday at 10 p.m. only on 13 On Your Side.

YUMA, Ariz. –  Since we brought you Yuma’s Most Wanted last week there have been some breaking developments. After weeks on the run, The Yuma Police Department arrested James Joseph Robles who was originally convicted of aggravated assault also YPD apprehended Rita Aguirre who was convicted of attempted burglary but this week we have a new list of wanted fugitives.

     Be on the lookout for Vanessa Ann Alvarez, convicted of attempted theft. She is a 28 year old Hispanic woman. 5’6, 175 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She has several tattoos, including the phrase “In Loving Memory” on her left arm, “BSR” on her neck and a tribal design on her right arm.

Mercy Samantha Gonzalez was convicted of possession of drug paraphernalia involving meth, she’s a 38 year old Hispanic woman stands at 5 foot 4, 190 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes. Look closely for tattoos she has an angel on her abdomen, the name Julio on her right ankle and Stephanie tattooed on her back.

Our next fugitive was convicted of aggravated assault per domestic violence. Francisco Javier Escobedo, is a 57 year old Hispanic man stands at 5’7 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He’s known to go by the alias Francisco Escobdio.

Our final fugitive is Jorge Leon convicted of the unlawful use of a means of transportation, he’s a 21 year old Hispanic man he’s 5’7 and 206 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He may go by the aliases Jorge Ignacio Leon or Nacho. He has several tattoos including Vianey and Elia on his back, “1” and “3” on his chest and Maria Leon and a flower on his left arm among other tattoos.

     If you have any information about these fugitives contact the Yuma Police Department or 78 crime, details leading to an arrest could earn you a thousand dollar reward. You are not advised to confront these criminals on your own. 

Watch “Yuma’s Most Wanted” with anchor Chorus Nylander every Friday at 10 p.m. only on 13 On Your Side.

YUMA, Ariz. – This week on “Yuma’s Most Wanted”  we have a new list of fugitives wanted for violating their probation.

Be on the lookout for Yvette Lorrain Gamez, she was convicted of multiple felonies including conspiracy to commit fraudulent schemes and artifices, forgery and promoting prison contraband. She’s a 47-year-old Hispanic woman who stands at 5 feet 3 inches and 135lbs. She has brown hair and brown eyes and is known to go by numerous aliases such as Len Dana Betz, Yvette Cruz, Maria Herrera and Valerie Green. She has a red heart tattoo on her chest and a heart with chains tattooed on her lower back.

Our next fugitive is Andrew Delcid Garcia who was convicted for possession of drug paraphernalia. He’s a 38 year old Hispanic man, 5’5 and 125lbs. He has brown hair and brown eyes. He has several tattoos including the name “Garcia” on his back, “David” and a dragon on his left shoulder, a tribal image on his right shoulder, “Yuma” and “Zyanna” written on his left forearm and a Yuma criminal mascot on his right forearm.

The following fugitive was also convicted for possession of drug paraphernalia, Miguel Espinoza is a 21 year old Hispanic man. He’s 5’7 and 157 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.

Our final fugitive is Angelica Xasun Brown convicted for resisting arrest she’s a 31 year old native american woman. She stands at 5’3 and 230lbs with black hair and brown eyes. She has the name “Anthony” tattooed on her neck, a bat on her chest, “CALI” on her left hand, “Mills” on her left wrist, “Melena” on her left arm, “Angel” on her right hand, “Anthony” on her right wrist,  and “Mary Jane” on her right arm.

If you have any information about these fugitives please contact the Yuma Police Department or 78 crime to remain anonymous. Any details leading to an arrest could earn you a $1,000 reward. Do not confront these felons on your own.

Watch “Yuma’s Most Wanted” every Friday at 10 p.m. with anchor Chorus Nylander only on 13 On Your Side.

YUMA, Ariz. – Since we brought you “Yuma’s Most Wanted” last week law enforcement has made some serious progress in capturing fugitives.

Melissa Barraza, convicted of attempted trafficking in stolen property and attempted possession of dangerous drugs, was arrested on Tuesday.

YPD also apprehended Andrew Delcid Garcia on Friday May 20th,  he was convicted for possession of drug paraphernalia.

On Thursday May 19th James Hemmers, convicted of attempted robbery and burglary, was also arrested.

Finally U.S. Marshals took Erica Vandeventer into custody, she was originally convicted for the unlawful use of a means of transportation.

This week we have a new list of most wanted fugitives.

Be on the lookout for Lowen Nakoolani Lara convicted of attempted possession of dangerous drugs for sale. He’s a 36-year-old man and is of Hawaiian-Pacific Islander decent. He is 5 feet 7 inches, 200 pounds with black hair, brown eyes. He has a tribal band tattooed on his left arm and right arm.

Our next fugitive is Israel Buenrostro Jr. convicted of attempted forgery and possession of drug paraphernalia involving methamphetamine. He’s a 30-year-old Hispanic man. Stands at 5 feet 9 inches 210 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He has the phrase “Monkey Never Sleeps” tattooed on his Left forearms.

Javier Lopez Coronado was convicted for the use of dangerous drugs. He’s a 25-year-old Hispanic man. He’s 5 feet 11 inches and 165 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He is known to go by the alias Javier Lopez Cordova.

Our final fugitive is Audrey Marie Jaime, convicted for possession of drug paraphernalia. She’s a 29-year-old Caucasian woman. She stands at 5 feet 5 inches and 152 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.

If you have any information about these fugitives immediately contact the Yuma Police Department or 78-Crime, information leading to an arrest could earn you a $1,000 reward. You are advised to not confront these criminals on your own.

Watch “Yuma’s Most Wanted” every Friday at 10 p.m. with anchor Chorus Nylander only on 13 On Your Side.

YUMA, Ariz. –  This week on Yuma’s Most Wanted be on the lookout for Janessa Brittany Avila convicted on two counts of attempted possession of dangerous drugs. She’s a 22 year old Hispanic woman, 5’7 and 185 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She has the name “Keith” tattooed on her right forearm, and an unknown tattoo on her neck.

     Our next fugitive was convicted for possession of marijuana and theft. Ernest Francisco Aguilar III is a 25 year old native american man. He stands at 5’11 and 200 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He may go by the alias Ernesto or Ernie. He has an unknown tattoo on his chest.

James Earl Griffin was convicted of aggravated assault, he’s a 29 year old Caucasian man. He is 6’5 and 325 pounds with brown hair and green eyes. He’s known to go by the alias “Big Jim”.

Our final fugitive is Dennis Perez Luna, convicted of the unlawful use of a means of transportation and resisting arrest. He’s a 32 year old Hispanic man. He stands at 5’9 and is 185 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. He has several tattoos including  an angel and demon on his left shoulder, “Luna” on his chest, and skulls on his right shoulder.

If you have any information about these fugitives immediately contact the Yuma Police Department or 78 crime to remain anonymous. Details you give which lead to an arrest could earn you a $1,000 reward. Do not confront these criminals on your own.

Watch “Yuma’s Most Wanted” every Friday at 10 p.m. only on KSWT 13 On Your Side with anchor Chorus Nylander.

YUMA, Ariz. – As the 4th of July is a joyful time for our nation celebrating our countries independence, it is also the anniversary of a dark day in Yuma County. 21 years ago, July 4th 1995, a police lieutenant and DPS Sergeant were murdered by a Yuma County Sheriff’s Office Deputy. Lt. Danny Elkins, of the Yuma Police Department and Sgt. Michael Crowe, of the Arizona Department of Public Safety, were shot and killed by Deputy Jack Ray Hudson.

Crowe, Elkins and a third officer were allegedly returning to their Headquarters to check on paperwork in reference to missing evidence. All of them were unarmed. While in the building Hudson shot and killed Crowe and Elkins, the third officer escaped and called backup. Crowe and Elikins were Hudson’s immediate supervisors on the Southwest Border Alliance, a multi-agency task force designed to fight drug trafficking and other drug related crimes. Hudson was arrested and on April 30th, 1997 he was convicted of 2 first degree murder charges then sentenced to two life terms plus 40 years.

YUMA, Ariz. – This week on “Yuma’s Most Wanted” be on the lookout for Tony Joe Woods convicted of attempted burglary. He’s a 30-year-old black man, 5 feet 7 inches tall and 153 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He’s known to go by the aliases: “Tiger Woods”,  Daniel Cortes or Jonathan Cortes.  He has “Mom” tattooed on his chest, a dollar sign on his right arm, “13” on his left arm and also has three dots on his right wrist. 

Our next fugitive is Tanya Darcie Martinez convicted for attempting to promote prison contraband. She’s a 40-year-old Native-American woman. She is 5 feet 5 inches and 150 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She may go by the alias Darlie Martinez. She has a rose bud tattooed on her right ankle and the name “Estevan” on her left ankle.

Keep an eye out for Marcus Fields, who is convicted of aggravated assault. He’s a 54-year-old black man, stands at 6 feet tall and 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.

Our final fugitive is Elliot James Comet convicted of attempted burglary. He’s a 33-year-old Native American. He’s 6 feet tall 200 pounds with  black hair and brown eyes.  He has several tattoos including a flying guitar on his left rib cage, the phrase “pain is love” on his abdomen, “family” on his left arm, on his left hand he has a marijuana leaf and praying hands on his left shoulder.

If you know anything about these fugitives immediately contact the Yuma Police Department or 78-Crime to remain anonymous, information leading to an arrest could earn you a $1,000 reward. You are not advised to confront these criminals on your own.

Watch “Yuma’s Most Wanted” every Friday at 10 p.m. only on 13 On Your Side with anchor Chorus Nylander.

LOS ANGELES (AP) – The critical moment when a gunman opened fire on two San Diego police officers, killing one, may never be seen. The surviving officer returned fire but only activated his camera after the wounded shooter was running away.

San Diego is among departments with policies calling for officers to turn on cameras before initiating contact with a citizen in most cases. But like other departments, compliance is less than perfect.

The result is inconsistent use of an increasingly common tool meant to give investigators and an often-skeptical public a fuller picture of police actions.

The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University’s School of Law says Chicago, Dallas, Denver, New Orleans, New York, Oakland and San Diego are among the cities that don’t specify penalties when officers fail to record.

The American Civil Liberties Union has studied the issue and said clear policies are vital, along with punishment for failure to comply.

Three suspects involved

PHOENIX, Ariz - Fourteen-year-old Elijah Ochoa-Gamez was fatally stabbed in front of his home Friday night. Glendale needs the public's help to find the suspects involved.

Friday night on November 8, the Glendale Police Department (GPD) was dispatched to the home where the stabbing took place, resulting in Ochoa-Gamez's death.

A fight had broken out involving three suspects and the teen. The teen was fatally stabbed by one of the suspects and was afterwards taken to a local hospital where he fell victim to his injuries.

His family has allowed the PD to release his name, for the sake of furthering the investigation and finding te suspects.

Detectives have released following description of the three adults involved in Ochoa-Gamez's death:

• Suspect 1
  • Caucasian or Hispanic male, 20-30 years old, curly dark brown hair, approximately 5'5"-5'7" average build, possible scar under his left eye. He was seen riding a BMX-syle bicycle
• Suspect 2
  • Caucasian male, 20-30 years old, blonde hair, light-colored goatee, 5'11"-5'6" thin build, possible tattoo on right arm. He  was in possession of  a white pit-bull with spots, which was used in attacking the boy.
• Suspect 3
  • Caucasian or Hispanic female, about 30 years old, dark hair, average build, tattoos on both arms, with possibly a full sleeve on left arm, and a tattoo of a moon on the left chest.

GPD asks anyone with any info to please call (480)-WITNESS or 480-TESTIGO or to call GP at (623)930-3000.

The post Police search for suspects who fatally stabbed 14 -year-old boy near Phoenix appeared first on KYMA.

Gets you "more than detention with the principal"

PHOENIX, Ariz - The Phoenix Police Department says three teens have been arrested and accused of vandalizing a High School in Phoenix.

The PD says it will land them more than detention with the principal, saying they'll, "get a trip to juvenile detention for criminal damage and burglary charges."

Phoenix Police say the boys damaged the school's locker room and gym, breaking windows and doors, and poured laundry detergent on the floors.

In total, their actions caused about 35 thousand dollars in damage.

The boys face aggravated criminal damage charges, as well as commercial burglary charges.

The teen's names have not been released as they are juveniles, however Police say the three boys are between 15 and 16 years old.

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Warning: Footage contains violence

A video went viral on Thursday, depicting police brutality in the Baja California city of Mexicali from March 2019.

Two policemen punch the victim dozens of times in the face, grab him by the neck, and proceed to punch the victim in the stomach.

The victim, Juan Manuel Elizande is already in handcuffs, seated in the patrol car when the video starts.

After the beating, he is hunched to his side, unable to defend himself.

Video shows the policemen steal money from Elizande's pockets, which he says totaled seven thousand pesos, about 360 dollars.

In an interview, Elizande does admit he was inebriated. The footage also does not show what happened before the event.

The officers have been identified as Jorge Adrian Contreras and Alberto Landeros.

The officers— new patrols — did not know their patrol cars were equipped with cameras.

They have been reassigned to new positions where public contact is limited, and may be subject to further repercussions.

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Suspect "no longer a threat," according to police

PHOENIX, Ariz. (KYMA, KSWT, KECY) - A K-9 was shot and killed in El Mirage on Friday. The K-9's name was Koki, having served on the force for four years.

The death occurred during foot pursuit in the Phoenix suburb on Friday night.

Officers sent Koki after the suspect. The suspect shot Koki during the pursuit, and remained at at large for hours.

The suspect was later found dead  dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, reports Fox 10.

No human officers were injured.

In an August Facebook post, El Mirage police department posted a highlight on Koki's years of service. Koki was El Mirage's only K-9.

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Expect increased officer presence in the Yuma Shopping Center over the holidays

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KSWT, KECY) - In order to ensure a safe holiday season, the Yuma Police Department (YPD) has announced "Operation Scrooge Stopper," an effort to combat crime around the Yuma Palms Shopping Center.

YPD's Investigations Division will focus on deterring and investigating incidents of shoplifting, vehicle burglaries, vehicle thefts, and other associated criminal activity.

Expect an increased police presence in the shopping center, including detectives in plain clothes and unmarked vehicles.

YPD advises to lock your vehicle doors, and to not leave property in plain sight inside vehicles. The department also advises to park in well-lit areas.

YPD wishes everyone a safe holiday and shopping season.

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PHOENIX — Phoenix police say they have captured the man who attempted to steal a wheelchair from a woman while she was riding the light rail on Friday, November 30.

The post Phoenix police arrest attempted wheelchair snatcher appeared first on KYMA.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KSWT, KECY)- A Yuma inmate was sentenced Tuesday to four-and-a-half years after leading police on a chase in May.

Robert Marcus Cuen had pleaded guilty to attempted aggravated assault and attempted misconduct involving weapons.

Police arrested Cuen in March on four felony charges, including kidnapping and aggravated assault.

Officers said Cuen confronted a woman with a gun, then forced her into a car at gunpoint when police arrived. 

Police said he then led them on a brief chase with the victim in the car.

Court records show Cuen's legal troubles date back to 2005.

In the past, he has faced a slew of drug possession charges.  He has also pleaded guilty to burglary charges, and to charges of selling stolen property.  

Cuen will remain in custody in Yuma as he awaits his other case that is pending.

The post Man convicted of leading police in pursuit sentenced to 4.5 years appeared first on KYMA.

Suspects wanted in police shooting

SAN LUIS, Mexico (KYMA, KSWT, KECY) - Three people were shot and killed in San Luis Rio Colorado after an hours-long standoff Sunday afternoon.

The stand-off resulted in two suspect's deaths as well as one woman.

Two armed men are identified as Jorge Eduardo "El Charal," a known criminal from the Mexicali area, and a man known as "El Micky."

The woman has been identified as Jorge Eduardo's partner, called "Elsy," by La Tribuna.

Both men have been signaled out as participants in the recent deaths of San Luis officers Raúl Ramos and Ricardo Castro, inside a Chinese food restaurant.

Upon arriving at the trios home, authorities were immediately attacked, forcing them to issue a code red which alerted various police agencies and Mexican military.

The suspects conducted explosions during the standoff, causing police to be unable to enter the home until an armored vehicle arrived.

Afterwards, an operation was carried out for the suspects surrender, however they were mortally wounded while resisting with force.

La Tribuna reports tactical agents entered the property where the suspects were located. When the trio refused to surrender, they were killed after several gunshots were fired.

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YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - After two men impersonating officers pulled a woman over in an unmarked vehicle, the Yuma Police Department (YPD) wants the community to know how to spot the differences from their vehicles to impersonators.

YPD said they have different unmarked vehicles that are all different styles and colors. These vehicles are used daily by detectives and officers who hold administrative positions.

The official unmarked police vehicles will always have lights mounted onto the inside top windshield, the back window, and sometimes on the grill of a vehicle.

Another distinction these official vehicles have is that most of the license plates start with a G. They never have push bars on the front of the vehicle.

Police officials who drive the unmarked vehicles said that they almost never pull people over. The only time they do is when they see a serious traffic violation that puts others in danger.

But when these unmarked vehicles do pull people over, there are ways to visibly tell the person pulling you overdoes, in fact, work for the police department.

These officers will always have a badge on them to identify themselves. They almost always have a vest on that says police or something that identifies them as an officer.

If you feel as if you're life is in danger while being pulled over by an unmarked vehicle, YPD advises that you maintain a normal speed, contact dispatch, or call 911 to see if the unmarked vehicle is an official vehicle.

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NEW YORK (AP) — A gunman is in custody after he ambushed police officers in the Bronx twice in 12 hours, wounding two in attacks that ignited outrage from officials who blamed the violence on an atmosphere of anti-police rhetoric.

The man, whose name was not immediately released, was captured after he walked into a police station in the Bronx and started shooting shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday. His shots struck a lieutenant in the arm and narrowly missed other police personnel before he ran out of bullets, lay down and tossed his pistol.

That attack came just hours after the same man approached a patrol van in the same part of the Bronx and fired at two officers inside, wounding one before escaping on foot, police said.

Despite multiple shots fired in both incidents, nobody was killed, and all are expected to recover, police said.

“It is only by the grace of God and the heroic actions of those inside the building that took him into custody that we are not talking about police officers murdered inside a New York City police precinct,” Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said at a news conference.

The officer injured in the first shooting, Paul Stroffolino, was released from the hospital Sunday to applause from a sizable contingent of fellow officers. The officer, a bandage visible on his neck, gave a thumbs-up to the crowd.

Shea called the gunman a “coward” and said he had a lengthy criminal history, including a 2002 shooting and carjacking in which he also fired a gun at police officers. Shea said the man was paroled from prison in 2017 after an attempted murder conviction.

The commissioner also lashed out at criminal justice reform activists who have held demonstrations against excessive force by police in recent months, including a large protest in Grand Central Terminal. He suggested the protests helped create an anti-police environment.

“These things are not unrelated. We had people marching through the streets of New York City recently,” Shea said. “Words matter. And words affect people’s behavior.”

Shea didn’t offer any evidence that the gunman in this weekend’s attacks knew of those protests or was influenced by them.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, who won office partly on a promise to reform overly aggressive policing of minority communities, also suggested that anti-police sentiment had gotten out of hand.

“Anyone who spews hatred at our officers is aiding and abetting this kind of atmosphere; it is not acceptable,” de Blasio said. “You could protest for whatever you believe in, but you cannot vilely attack those who are here to protect us. It creates this kind of dynamic.”

The attacks recalled other unprovoked assaults on police officers sitting in their patrol vehicles.

In 2017, a gunman killed Officer Miosotis Familia as she sat in her patrol vehicle in the Bronx. In 2014, two officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, were shot dead in their patrol car in Brooklyn by a man upset about recent police killings of unarmed black men.

The killings of Ramos and Liu had also followed large street protests and some officers blamed de Blasio for expressing solidarity with the demonstrations, and turned their backs on the Democrat at the funerals.

Robert Gangi, executive director of the Police Reform Organizing Project advocacy group, said it was “irresponsible” for Shea and de Blasio to say the violence this weekend was linked to the recent demonstrations, which he said involved activists “protesting in a legitimate fashion.”

Of the gunman, though, Gangi said there is “no defense for a lunatic who opens fire on police.”

The first attack happened just before 8:30 p.m. Saturday, when the gunman walked up to the van asking the officers for directions and then fired shots, grazing Stroffolino, who was behind the wheel, in the chin and neck and narrowly missing an artery.

Stroffolino and his partner for eight years, Brian Hanlon, a friend since middle school, hit the gas to get away. Neither fired a shot.

Police released a photograph of the suspected shooter and were combing the city for him when he walked into the police station coordinating the manhunt, strolled to the desk and pulled a gun. The wounded lieutenant returned fire but missed, and police personnel dashed out of an adjoining room just in time to avoid the pursuing gunman. Two security cameras captured video of the chaotic scene.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a tweet Sunday he was “horrified by the multiple attacks” on police.

“NY’s law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe,” he wrote. “These attacks are heinous.”

President Donald Trump immediately used the shootings to assail New York’s Democratic mayor and governor.

“I grew up in New York City and, over many years, got to watch how GREAT NYC’s ‘Finest’ are. Now, because of weak leadership at Governor & Mayor, stand away (water thrown at them) regulations, and lack of support, our wonderful NYC police are under assault. Stop this now!” he tweeted.

The attacks happened in the Bronx’s 41st Precinct, a once crime-plagued district whose former headquarters was infamously branded “Fort Apache” and was the subject of a 1981 film starring Paul Newman.

In recent years, though, the neighborhood has gotten much safer. There were five killings reported in all of last year and 164 robberies, down from 44 killings and 1,095 robberies in 1990.

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YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma Police Department (YPD) has partnered with The Housing Authority of Yuma to create a substation in Mesa Heights to provide safety to the community and officers.

The grand opening is on Thursday February 13th at 5:00 p.m. located at 2025 S. Madison Avenue and the community is invited to attend.

It'll be a place where residents of the area and law enforcement can interact with each other. By being in the heart of Mesa Heights, officers say they would be able to stay in the area more and decrease response times.

This isn't the first time the two have teamed up together to open up a substation. The first one is located near Magnolia Ave and 8th Street and since opening has proved to be successful as the housing authority reported that crime within that neighborhood hasn't increased.

Police officers encourage anyone in the area to interact with the officers if they see they are at the station.

The new substation will not be manned for 24 hours and will be somewhere officers in the area can safely complete paperwork or interact during downtime.

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