Police Shoot and Kill Wanted Man in Lower East Side Shoot Out
Police had gone to an apartment on the lower East Side to serve a warrant on a man wanted for a series of violent offenses including a shooting at UES bar Iggy’s and failing to register as a sexual offender. The suspect barricaded himself into a bathroom before firing at cops, who fired back and struck him twice.
| 15 Dec 2023 | 06:30
When a suspect came out shooting at police in a standoff on the Lower East Side, officers fired back striking him twice. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital where he was pronounced dead on Dec. 14. Photo: Citizens app.
A wild shootout erupted that ended up killing a suspect on the lower East Side on Dec. 14 who was wanted for a number of past offenses including a shooting at an upper east Side bar in October and failing to register as a sex offender.
One detective was shot in a bullet proof vest and two police riot shields were also hit before a dectectives fired at Kent Edwards, 43, and struck him once in the stomach and once in the back. He was transorted to Bellevue Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Initially, police had gone to an apartment on Eldridge Street after they received a tip that Edwards, 43, who was wanted in connection with a shooting at the Upper East Side bar Iggy’s, and failure to register as a sex offender.
But when detectives went to serve the warrant, Edwards barricaded himself into a bathroom and police spotted him brandishing a pistol. Two women were said to have fled the apartment when cops arrived.
Police Emergency Services Unit responded and cops spent several hours trying to convince Edwards to surrender.
Police tried to send in a drone to ascertain what was going on but he used a bat or broom handle to swat the drone out of the sky, destroying it.
“They tried to use a lot of technology, but a lot of the technology wasn’t really helping them out the way they needed it,” said NYPD chief of detectives Jeffrey Maddrey.
Police also tried to send in a robot. “When they came with the avatar, that’s when he came out and started shooting,” Maddrey said.
One detective was hit but avoided serious injury because he was wearing a bullet proof vest. Two other shots ricocheted off of police riot shields. Police returned fire and struck Edwards twice, in the stomach and the back.
Police said he was wanted for shooting a rival in the leg following an argument inside Iggy’s Bar on East 76th St. and Second Ave and that he had 11 prior arrests.
Among his criminal past was a 12 year stint in prison for attempted rape and criminal sale of a controlled substance. He was arrested in February for rape and reportedly had an active warrant for failing to register as a sexual offender
A witness told the Daily News that Edwards appeared to be alive when he was brought out on a stretcher following the shooting, but after being rushed to Bellevue Hospital several miles north of the scene, he was pronounced dead.