A New York City police officer was charged with attempted murder on Friday after authorities say he shot another driver during an instance of road rage in New Jersey and then fled the scene.
Officer Hieu Tran, who was assigned to the social media unit of the New York Police Department's press office, was awaiting extradition to Camden County, New Jersey, where the shooting took place late May 17.
Officers from the Voorhees Township Police Department were at the scene of a multicar crash on Route 73 when they saw that one of the drivers in the pileup had been shot before the crash, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.
The shooting victim was taken to a hospital and remained hospitalized Friday, authorities said.
Detectives used surveillance video, cellphone records and ballistics evidence to identify Tran as the shooter, the prosecutor's office said.
The ballistics evidence showed that Tran shot the victim with his NYPD-issued gun, prosecutors said.
The prosecutor's office referred to what happened as “an apparent road rage incident” but did not provide any details about what might have led to the shooting. It said the investigation is ongoing.
Tran was arrested Thursday at NYPD headquarters and appeared at an extradition hearing in Manhattan on Friday.
The Daily News reported that Tran stood head down through much of his court appearance.
Tran, who was also charged with aggravated assault and weapons possession for an unlawful purpose, waived extradition. Assistant District Attorney Todd Fitch said Tran would be driven to Camden County later Friday.
The attorney who represented Tran at the hearing said he had no comment on the charges.
The NYPD said Tran has been suspended without pay.
