Man arrested for allegedly shooting, gravely wounding off-duty officer during robbery

A 38-year-old man suspected of shooting and gravely wounding an off-duty NYPD officer on Saturday night has been arrested in Rockland County, New York, where he was found hiding out in a hotel, according to police.

Charges are pending against Randy Jones, who was apprehended at a Days Inn in Nanuet on Monday and taken into custody in the wounded officer's handcuffs, police said.

The injured officer, 26-year-old Adeed Fayaz, remains at Brookdale University Hospital in grave condition, according to police. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Saturday that Fayaz -- a husband and father of two -- was "fighting for his life."

Just before 7 p.m Saturday, Fayaz and his brother-in-law went to a location in Brooklyn to meet someone to buy a car, according to authorities.

Fayaz and his brother-in-law were met by Jones, who asked whether either of them was carrying a gun, NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig said. When they said no, Jones allegedly put Fayaz in a headlock, pointed a gun at him and demanded money, police said.

Fayaz broke free and Jones shot him in the head, Essig said. The brother-in-law took a gun from Fayaz’s holster and returned fire, getting off six shots before Jones fled in a 2011 BMW, according to authorities. Police tracked the car to Jones’ mother, according to police.

Jones has at least three prior arrests, including one in 2014 for strangulation. Police are also looking into several Facebook Marketplace robberies to see whether he was involved, Essig said.