A Suffolk County police officer took a bullet to the face, shattering the calm just hours after Governor Kathy Hochul boasted about crime dropping on Long Island.
The New York Post reported that on Wednesday, Hochul stood at the Suffolk County Police Academy, crowing about a 24% murder drop from 2023 to 2024, only for a violent reality check to hit the next day.
A 33-year-old officer, a Navy veteran with a wife and three kids, was shot during a search warrant execution in North Bay Shore.
The suspect, Nieves Reyes, 48, allegedly tied to a coworker’s stabbing death, opened fire, exposing the fragility of Hochul’s victory lap. Hochul’s event highlighted a 40% murder decline since 2021, but the ink was barely dry on her speech when chaos erupted.
Her claim of a “statistically insignificant” uptick in Suffolk County murders—16 from 14—feels hollow when an officer’s life hangs in the balance. The Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association (PBA) didn’t mince words, calling her remarks tone-deaf.
The officer, wounded a half-inch from his eye, suffered a fractured cheekbone with the bullet lodged beneath his ear. Dr. James Vosswinkel, a surgeon at Stony Brook University Medical Center, called it a near-fatal shot but expects a full recovery. That’s cold comfort when progressive policies keep rolling back law enforcement’s edge.
Reyes, the suspect, wasn’t just a random thug—he’s accused of murdering 66-year-old Eugene Allen, a coworker, in a brutal stabbing.
When officers arrived to execute the warrant on Wednesday evening, Reyes didn’t hesitate to shoot. He was nabbed Thursday night, now facing murder and attempted murder charges.
The PBA’s Lou Civello didn’t hide his frustration, saying, “The irony is not lost on us that the governor was just on Long Island yesterday saying that crime is going down.” Hochul’s cherry-picked stats don’t tell the whole story when officers are dodging bullets. Civello’s right: her rhetoric clashes with the blood on the ground.
Civello also jabbed at Hochul’s incremental fixes to New York’s criminal justice laws, loosened in 2018 under a prior administration.
“We’ve been dealing with this now for years, and each time a new band-aid gets applied, we find another circumstance that they missed,” he said. Those “band-aids” aren’t stopping the bleeding—literally.
Hochul’s team might argue she’s trying, pointing to her funding for law enforcement and tweaks to bail and discovery laws. Civello acknowledged this, noting, “We are appreciative that she’s providing funding here.” But he quickly added that her efforts “just do not go far enough,” and this shooting proves his point.
The governor’s own words betray a disconnect: “I know more than anyone, our work is always far from done when it comes to protecting people.” Governor? Bragging about crime stats while officers face gunfire suggests otherwise.
Hochul’s event was meant to showcase progress, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. A 24% murder drop sounds nice until a cop’s cheekbone is shattered. Her focus on numbers ignores the human cost of soft-on-crime policies that embolden thugs like Reyes.
The officer’s survival is a miracle, as Vosswinkel noted: “This officer’s wound was a half inch away from his eye.” That half-inch is the difference between a recovery and a funeral, a stark reminder of what’s at stake. Hochul’s stats don’t shield officers from bullets.
The PBA’s criticism isn’t just griping—it’s a call for real reform. New York’s criminal justice system, softened by years of progressive tinkering, leaves cops vulnerable. Reyes’ rampage shows what happens when consequences erode.
North Bay Shore residents are rattled, and who can blame them? A murder suspect shooting at police in their neighborhood isn’t exactly the “safer Long Island” Hochul promised. Her narrative of progress feels like a slap to those living in fear.
The officer, a family man who served his country, now faces a long road to recovery. Vosswinkel’s optimism about a “full recovery” is a relief, but it doesn’t erase the trauma. This isn’t just a statistic—it’s a hero’s life altered.
Hochul needs to ditch the press conferences and face reality: crime stats don’t mean much when officers are targets. The PBA’s right to call her out, and Long Islanders deserve better than polished talking points. It’s time for policies that protect, not platitudes that mislead.
