NYPD Officer Miosotis Familia is the 89th Police Officer Shot in the Line of Duty in 2017 and the 21st Police Officer Shot and Killed This Year
Her Death Follows Last Week’s Shooting Attack at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital by a Doctor, Killing One Person and Injuring Six Others
Previous Everytown for Gun Safety Research Found that 52 percent of Law Enforcement Officers Shot and Killed in Line of Duty were Killed by People Prohibited from Having Guns
NEW YORK – The New York chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today responded to reports that NYPD officer Miosotis Familia was shot and killed while sitting in a police vehicle in the Bronx. The shooting comes just days after a doctor shot and killed one person and injured several others at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital. Last November, two NYPD officers were shot, one fatally, while responding to reports of a robbery in the Bronx.
The shooting death of Officer Miosotis marks the 89th police officer shot in the line of duty in 2017, and the 21st police officer shot and killed so far this year. According to Everytown for Gun Safety research, more than half of law enforcement officers fatally shot in the line of duty were killed by people prohibited from having guns.
STATEMENT FROM DEB GAISFORD, VOLUNTEER WITH THE NEW YORK CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:
“Once again, a law enforcement officer has been shot and killed for doing her job. And the Bronx community has been traumatized by the shooting death of a police officer just days after shots rang out at Bronx-Lebanon hospital, killing one person and injuring several others. My heart goes out to Officer Familia’s family, the NYPD and the entire borough of the Bronx, where gun violence continues to be a threat for many New Yorkers. As we mourn the lives cut short by this type of senseless violence, we must do more to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals. Although New York has strong gun laws, reports indicate that the man who shot Officer Familia reportedly may have been a prohibited purchaser.
“Shootings of law enforcement officers happen far too often in this country, and more than 30,000 American lives are cut short by gun violence each year. While there is no one law that can prevent every tragedy, there are common-sense measures elected leaders can take to prevent dangerous, hate-filled individuals from accessing guns. Together, we can make sure that our country lives up to our ideals of freedom and safety for all Americans.”