Man shot dead by NYC police after killing 2 officers, bartender
Two unarmed volunteer police officers were shot dead Wednesday night outside a strip of busy restaurants and bars near New York University after they followed a gunman, the mayor said.
The gunman was shot and killed by regular police officers who raced to the scene in lower Manhattan, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said. The gunman earlier had killed a bartender, police said.
A restaurant worker, Nikola Simic, said he saw police officers swarm the area where the auxiliary officers were slain.
“Then we heard shooting that was like a good five minutes,” Simic said.
“Hearing that many shots in a row -- it was war,” said Josh Drimmer, who had been at a bar. “It felt like that for a hot second.”
Another person involved in the shooting was wounded and apprehended, the mayor’s office said.
Police cordoned off several blocks as patrons poured out of bars and restaurants after the altercation. They escorted area residents to their homes.
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