Camani Barletto, 18, of West Orange, New Jersey, was charged Monday night with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of weapons possession, two counts of reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief following a chaotic confrontation that left NYPD Detective Robert Karroll shot by friendly fire in Crown Heights early Sunday morning.
Incident Details
According to police, the incident occurred around 4:15 a.m. on July 5, when Barletto allegedly stormed up to an unmarked police car containing four uniformed officers while brandishing a 9mm handgun. Three of the four officers fired their weapons, missing the suspect but apparently striking Detective Karroll in the back.
Karroll, a married father of three who was just 10 days away from retirement, was shot but survived thanks to his bulletproof vest. He was released from the hospital hours later and is expected to make a full recovery, police said. A female officer also suffered minor injuries.
Sequence of Events
Surveillance footage captured Barletto chatting with four people outside a Nostrand Avenue deli around 4:05 a.m., just 10 minutes before the shooting. He allegedly drew his handgun and pointed it at one of the men, then entered the store, exited, and fired at a passing Uber that sources said appeared to be his target. Neither the Uber driver nor the passenger was hit.
Barletto then crept behind the unmarked police SUV with his gun visible, moved along the driver's side, and stepped in front of the vehicle, brandishing the weapon. This prompted the officers to open fire, resulting in the friendly fire incident that hit Karroll.
Arrest and Charges
Barletto fled the scene but was apprehended several blocks away at Union Street and Rogers Avenue after resisting arrest and being subdued with a Taser, officials said. He has no prior arrests in New York but has at least one shoplifting charge in Essex County, New Jersey.
The patrol car was left peppered with bullets in the exchange. The charges against Barletto include two counts of attempted murder, two counts of weapons possession, two counts of reckless endangerment, and criminal mischief.
