On a cold January evening in Harlem, a story of service and sacrifice unfolded, ending in a tragedy that shook New York City. On January 21, 2022, Jason Rivera, a 22-year-old Hispanic male and a dedicated police officer, responded to a domestic dispute call from an apartment on 135th Street. Rivera, who had been with the NYPD for just over a year, was accompanied by his partner, Officer Wilbert Mora, and a third officer, Sumit Sulan.
The call came from a mother who was having a dispute with her adult son.
Upon their arrival at the apartment around 6:15 p.m., the officers spoke with the mother and one of her sons in the living room. Rivera and Mora then proceeded down a narrow hallway to a back bedroom where the other son, 47-year-old Lashawn McNeil, was located. As they approached the bedroom, McNeil burst out and opened fire, ambushing the two officers. Rivera was struck and died from his injuries shortly after at Harlem Hospital. His partner, Wilbert Mora, was critically wounded and succumbed to his injuries four days later.
The third officer, Sumit Sulan, who had remained with the mother and brother, engaged McNeil as he tried to flee. Sulan shot McNeil, striking him in the head and arm. McNeil was taken to Harlem Hospital in critical condition and died from his wounds days later. At the scene, police recovered a Glock 45 handgun with a high-capacity magazine that was later found to have been stolen in Baltimore in 2017. Investigators also discovered an assault rifle in McNeil's room.
Lashawn McNeil had a criminal history, including a prior felony drug conviction in New York City in 2003, for which he was on probation at the time of the shooting. He also had previous arrests outside of New York City for charges that included assault on a police officer and weapons possession. An investigation by the New York Attorney General's office later concluded that Officer Sulan's use of force against McNeil was justified and that no criminal charges would be filed against him. Jason Rivera, who was remembered for his desire to improve community-police relations, was posthumously promoted to Detective First Grade. He left behind his wife of just three months, his parents, and a brother.
