An armed robbery suspect, identified as 57-year-old Gary Worthy, was responsible for multiple robberies within about an hour in Queens, New York. He had a history of 17 prior arrests for charges including murder, robbery, and narcotics possession, and was out on lifetime parole. Worthy had been arrested just six days before the incident for narcotics possession and resisting arrest.
Around 5:30 p.m., police responded to a 911 call of a robbery in progress at a deli in Jamaica. Worthy threatened workers and customers with a black revolver, fired a shot, and then fled. As officers searched for him, a witness flagged them down and identified Worthy as the suspect who had just robbed a smoke shop and fired a shot while doing so.
An hour later, officers spotted Worthy and told him to stop, but he fled and pulled out a gun. When ordered to drop his weapon, he instead fired a shot, hitting Officer Rich Wong in the thigh. Wong returned fire, hitting Worthy in the face, causing him to be pronounced dead upon arrival at Jamaica Hospital.
During the exchange, a 26-year-old woman was shot in the leg, though it was unclear who shot her. Both Officer Wong and the woman were expected to recover from their injuries. Mayor Eric Adams referred to Worthy as a “reckless perpetrator” who showed a disregard for human life. Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny stated that Worthy was also wanted for three other robberies at gunpoint in November and on Halloween.
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