A suspect has been arrested and charged with attempted murder in connection with a shooting that injured a rookie NYPD officer in Queens earlier this week, authorities said Friday.

Devin Spraggins, 22, of Jamaica, was taken into custody at a home in the Bronx Thursday night, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said at a news briefing.

He was arraigned Friday on charges including two counts of first-degree attempted murder, two counts of second-degree attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, the Queens district attorney’s office said in a press release.


What You Need To Know

  • Devin Spraggins, 22, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder in connection with a shooting that injured a rookie NYPD officer in Queens earlier this week

  • Police said Spraggins shot NYPD Officer Brett Boller, 22, in the leg in Jamaica around 3:20 p.m. on Wednesday

  • Spraggins was arraigned Friday on charges including two counts of first-degree attempted murder, two counts of second-degree attempted murder, two counts of first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon

Police said Spraggins shot NYPD Officer Brett Boller, 22, in the leg in Jamaica around 3:20 p.m. on Wednesday.

Prosecutors said an MTA bus driver flagged Boller and his partner down after Spraggins got into a fight with another passenger on the bus. The two officers tried to speak with Spraggins, but he pushed Boller's partner and ran off, according to prosecutors.

When the officers caught up to Spraggins, he shot Boller, pointed his weapon at the second officer and fled, prosecutors said. Emergency responders took Boller to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center after the shooting, where he was listed in stable condition, officials said.

Boller, who had been on patrol for just three months, “continues to recover this morning,” NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at the briefing.

After the shooting, Essig said Spraggins fled into a nearby parking garage, where he took off his black jacket, orange sweatshirt and black mask. 

Spraggins was last seen on surveillance video at 161st Street and Hillside Avenue in Jamaica wearing a white T-shirt and black pants, Essig said. 

At that location, police obtained surveillance footage that showed Spraggins getting into a for-hire vehicle, which dropped him off at 215th Street and 102nd Avenue in Queens Village, according to Essig.

Essig said additional surveillance video showed Spraggins entering a home on 215th Street.

“Computer workups on that residence revealed persons who had social media accounts,” Essig said. “Detective were able to quickly identify a possible match to our shooter.”

From there, authorities obtained a search warrant through the Queens district attorney’s office, he said. When police searched the home at 7 p.m. on Thursday, they found sneakers they believed were worn by Spraggins, Essig said.

Spraggins was not at the home, but “significant leads” detectives found there led them to a location in the Bronx, where he was arrested, according to Essig.

Essig said police found a 9 mm handgun at the arrest location, and are in the process of testing whether a shell casing found at the scene of the shooting on Wednesday matches the weapon.

Spraggins had no known criminal record prior to the arrest, Essig said. His attorney information wasn’t immediately available Friday.