Police charged a 45-year-old man Wednesday night with trying to drive away moments before an NYPD detective was accidentally shot by his partner.
Oscar Vera, who lives just blocks from the violent scene in Bushwick and has 58 prior arrests, was charged with assault of a police officer, criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal sale of a controlled substance, reckless endangerment and resisting arrest.
Attorney information for Vera was not immediately available.
Vera, who was shot during the buy-and-bust operation by the corner of Troutman Street and Wilson Avenue at about 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, was accused of trying to drive off with Det. Jon Gladstone clinging to his car.
As the pair approached the vehicle, one on each side, the driver began backing up, ramming a police car, then tried to take off with the detective hanging on, police said. Police fired a total of four shots, striking Vera in the leg and wrist, officials said.
On Tuesday evening, police said they had not found a gun inside the car.
Gladstone was hit in the left shoulder and brought to Elmhurst Hospital Center in Queens with a gunshot wound to his shoulder, and later transferred to the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. Both Gladstone and his partner, a sergeant, have 11 years with the department and are assigned to the narcotics unit as plainclothes officers.
A second man inside the car, 51-year-old Geraldo Rodriguez, was also taken into custody but had not yet been charged Wednesday evening. A third suspect, who was standing outside of the car at the time, fled the scene. Cops were questioning someone on Thursday morning, but no charges had been filed, police said.
