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The officer was reportedly on routine patrol in Orange County when a woman on Myrtle Avenue in Middletown flagged him down at approximately 7:45 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29.
As he spoke to the woman, Bronx resident Desean J. Owens, 29, reportedly emerged from the home brandishing a 9 mm. pistol and shot the responding officer in the left forearm, according to authorities.
The officer returned fire, wounding Owens, before summoning additional police officers to the scene, Middletown Police said.
Both Owens and the officer were brought to Garnet Regional Medical Center, however, the suspect was later transferred to Westchester Medical Center for more advanced care, said police.
Owens attended his Monday, Aug. 30 arraignment virtually from a hospital bed, and is due to be remanded to Orange County Jail without bail.
Additionally, he was charged with the felonies of first-degree criminal use of a firearm and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
The case was adjourned to Friday, Sept. 11, but the matter will be presented to a grand jury before that date, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office.
Per a protocol adopted by the City of Middletown Police Department in 2015 to enhance the public's faith in internal police investigations, the Orange County District Attorney is considered the "lead agency" in any investigation of the use of deadly force by law enforcement (as opposed to Middletown police).
The policy mandates that New York State Police are contacted and asked to assist in the investigation.
Troopers have complied, and will store all evidence, and are conducting all forensic testing and witness interviews in this investigation.
"The attempted murder of a police officer is a crime which strikes at the very heart of public safety and the criminal justice system," said Orange County DA David Hoovler. "Now, more than ever, it is essential that those who illegally use weapons are held accountable and it is equally important that the public has confidence in the integrity of the investigation and the prosecutorial process utilized in these cases."
An executive order signed by Governor Cuomo into law, certain police shootings are investigated by the New York Attorney General's office; while an Assistant Attorney General has permitted the New York State Police and the Orange County Attorney General's Office to handle this investigation, Hoovler said that the Attorney General will be kept apprised of the unfolding investigation.
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