Suspect Charged with Attempted Murder of Two NYPD Sergeants After Wild Chase and Shooting

Aug 06 2024 Staff Writer

Joshua Dorsett, 22, has been charged with attempted murder of two NYPD sergeants, robbery, and criminal possession of a weapon after a wild chase and shooting on the Lower East Side.

Suspect Charged with Attempted Murder of Two NYPD Sergeants After Wild Chase and Shooting

Photo by Tobias on Unsplash

A 22-year-old man, Joshua Dorsett, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder of a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon, and robbery, after shooting and wounding two NYPD sergeants during a chaotic pursuit on the Lower East Side.

According to police, Dorsett was being pursued by officers after robbing several women at a mah-jongg parlor on Canal Street. When sergeants Carl Johnson and Christopher Leap caught up to him, Dorsett opened fire, striking both officers with a single bullet.

Johnson, 43, was hit in the groin, while Leap, 34, suffered a graze wound. Both officers were taken to Bellevue Hospital, where they were treated and are expected to recover. Leap was released Thursday night, while Johnson is expected to be released on Saturday.

Dorsett, a member of the Up the Hill gang, has a history of run-ins with the law, including a guilty plea for selling crack to an undercover officer in 2022. He was sentenced to three years' probation in May.

Neighbors at the Alfred E. Smith Houses, where Dorsett lives, expressed shock and surprise at the allegations, describing him as a "lost kid" and a "kind-hearted person." However, police say Dorsett's actions were those of a dangerous individual who put the lives of officers and others at risk.