By Sasha Gonzales
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The Bronx police officer fatally shot during a struggle early Sunday was killed by friendly fire, officials said Monday.
Brian Mulkeen, 33, was killed around 12:30 a.m. outside the Edenwald Houses after he and other officers tried to stop two men they deemed suspicious. One of the men, identified by police as 27-year-old Antonio Williams, took off running and Mulkeen gave chase, wrestling Williams to the ground, police said.
The officer’s last words, as captured by a body camera, were: “He’s reaching for it! He’s reaching for it!” according to the NYPD. During the struggle, Mulkeen fired his service weapon at Williams five times, and five NYPD officers standing nearby fired 10 additional shots.
Two of their rounds struck Mulkeen, causing fatal injuries, NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill said.
Williams was also shot to death, police said.
“This is a tragic case of friendly fire, but make no mistake we lost the life of a courageous public servant solely due to a violent criminal who put the lives of police and all the people we serve in jeopardy,” O’Neill said Monday.