A police officer struggling with an armed man died after being shot three times, possibly with his own gun on Sunday in the Bronx. The 27-year-old suspect was killed by five officers who fired at him, soon after he killed the police officer. The suspect hasn’t been publicly identified by the police department yet. However, the NYPD revealed the officer died as the 33-year-old Brian Mulkeen. 

Read: CR Park Journalist Assault Case: Delhi Police Arrests One Suspect

Mayor Bill de Blasio expresses condolences

Mayor Bill de Blasio expressed his condolences by stating that he is extremely sad as the department had lost one of their heroes that evening, at a news conference outside Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. Terence Monahan, Chief of Department explained that the incident occurred when Mulkeen was patrolling the streets around a city apartment complex at around 12:30 am as part of a unit investigating potential gang activity. 

Mulkeen and his partner tried to apprehend a man who had fled questioning, and a struggle on the ground ensued, Monahan said. As the two struggled with each other, Mulkeen’s body camera recorded him saying the suspect was reaching for his gun. Officer Mulkeen’s gun fired five times, Monahan said that at this point, it is not clear who fired officer Mulkeen’s gun.

Read: Spanish Police Detain 9 Catalan Separatists For Alleged Violence

"He was just doing his job": Monahan 

The police recovered .32-caliber revolver from the suspect, though it had not been fired. Monahan also informed that the suspect was on probation until 2022 for a narcotics-related arrest last year and had been arrested several times before for various crimes, including a burglary conviction in Rockland County. 

Read: Hong Kong Pro-democracy Protesters Defy Police Ban, March On

Mulkeen had served nearly seven years with the department and worked out of the 47th precinct. He lived with his girlfriend, an NYPD police officer in the Bronx’s 44th precinct. Monahan called the officer brave and that he was doing the job they asked him to do, a job that New Yorkers needed him to do. 

The slain officer’s father, said that his son was a great human being, everybody loved him and that he made the greatest sacrifice, he put his life on the line and he lost it in service to the people of this city.

Read: US: Indian-American Sikh Police Officer's Funeral Set For October 2