Veteran NYPD Detective Shot in the Back During Wild Brooklyn Gunfight Days Before Retirement [WATCH]

A veteran New York City detective just ten days from hanging up his badge was shot in the back during a blazing early morning shootout with an armed teenager in Brooklyn.

It all went down in Crown Heights around 4:45 a.m., when what should have been a routine moment turned into a fight for survival.

Police say the 18 year old suspect approached an unmarked NYPD car holding a semiautomatic pistol. Surveillance footage reportedly showed the teen loading a round into the chamber moments before he walked up to the vehicle occupied by uniformed officers.

Detective Robert L. Karroll and his partner jumped into action, getting out of the car to confront the suspect.

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As soon as they stepped out, the teen unleashed a barrage of bullets, riddling the car with holes in both windshields and the passenger side door.

Officers returned fire but somehow the gunman was not struck.

Karroll was hit in the upper back, but thanks to his ballistic vest, the injury is considered minor.

The vest stopped the bullet and, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, “saved his life.”

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Ten days from retirement, the detective will live to see his well earned next chapter.

The suspect ran from the scene after the shootout, sprinting several blocks before being caught near Rogers Avenue and Union Street.

He resisted arrest and refused to be handcuffed, forcing officers to use a Taser to bring him under control. Once subdued, he was taken into custody.

Investigators say a 9mm SAR handgun was recovered from the scene.

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Police shared a photo of the weapon on social media as proof of the violent encounter, which easily could have turned deadly for the veteran detective and his colleagues.

Commissioner Tisch said there was no body camera footage of the shooting since the ambush unfolded so fast.

Surveillance video reviewed by The Post shows the teenager pacing on the sidewalk, brandishing the weapon, and even pulling back the slide before approaching the unmarked cruiser.

The officers inside likely had just seconds to react before gunfire exploded.

The early morning patrol shift was part of an NYPD July Fourth violence reduction initiative.

The officers had been reassigned to Brooklyn after working an event in Lower Manhattan hours earlier.

Both wounded officers were members of a unit tasked with monitoring registered sex offenders across the city, hardly a typical street patrol assignment.

Detective Karroll was rushed to a nearby hospital where doctors treated his injuries.

Officials say he is expected to fully recover and remains in good spirits, though one can only imagine the surreal timing of the attack, coming so close to his planned retirement after decades of service in one of America’s toughest police departments.

A second officer suffered bruises during the melee, adding another reminder of the risks faced daily by law enforcement officers while politicians in City Hall and Albany continue to push policies that make police work more dangerous.

The suspect, despite apparently having no prior record, chose to arm himself and open fire on police. It is a symptom of a city where criminals increasingly feel emboldened.

Detectives are reviewing security footage from nearby stores to reconstruct the lead up to the attack.

Investigators want to know if the gunman intentionally targeted the officers or whether he simply did not realize whom he was approaching.

Either way, the decision to chamber a round and walk up to a car at 4:45 a.m. with a gun in hand does not suggest an innocent mistake.

Sunday’s shootout stands as another stark sign of what police face on our streets.

In a city where the NYPD is often vilified by activists and lawmakers alike, real heroes remain on the front lines, tackling armed threats before the rest of the city is even awake.

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Detective Karroll’s story could have easily ended in tragedy, but instead it stands as a powerful reminder of courage, restraint, and the thin blue line that keeps civilization standing.

While the wounded detective recovers and prepares for his retirement, New Yorkers owe him gratitude for continuing to serve despite city leadership that has made the job harder than ever.

A life saved by a vest and quick action, this incident is yet another wake up call for a city that too often forgets who runs toward danger when everyone else runs away.

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