Army Vet Struck by Stray Bullet in NYC Was Shielding Children
Army veteran caught in the middle of city's crime wave
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An innocent man, who was caught in the crossfire of a shootout in East Harlem, New York, turned out to be an Army veteran and was shielding children when he was shot.
59-year old Wilbert Grier was hit in the upper torso as gunfire broke out during a feud between gangs of young men on Fifth Avenue and East 118th Street.
Grier noted that his “adrenaline kicked in” when the gunfire started, and he instinctively moved to protect the children who were playing outside.
“We had to shield the kids because they were shooting this way,” he said.
“We had kids playing [outside], and then we had kids inside the store."
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“I knew I was hit, but I knew that I might have to take another one for the kids,” he added.
Grier said he and a deli worker ran into a nearby store and locked the door after he was shot.
He was late, rushed to Harlem Hospital, and is recovering.
Jabari Albright, 18, has been arrested in connection to the shooting and has been charged with attempted murder, police said.
The New York Post obtained surveillance footage showing the gunman open fire on the sidewalk as he aimed across the street towards a group of men.
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Violent crime isn't just more pronounced in New York; it is now happening all over the country.
A new left-wing poll revealed almost half of Americans say they disapprove of Democrat Joe Biden's handling of the spike in violent crime
New York City Police Department noted that it was filing for retirement last year at such a rapid rate they had placed limits on it.
Neon Nettle reported in June that almost 300 officers filed for retirement amid the soaring crimes rate in the city, according to figures released to the New York Post.
Earlier this week, a Minneapolis police chief reacted to the recent shooting of a three-year-old on Friday, saying police are not the biggest threat to safety.
Chief Medaria Arradondo said:
“The biggest threat to public safety in our city, and particularly to our African-American community, is not the police."
“We have an epidemic right now of unequivocal gun violence, particularly in our African-American communities. And that must stop.”
