The Bronx NYPD sergeant wounded during a harrowing police-involved shooting with an armed assailant was released from the hospital Saturday as a group of cops cheered him on.
Sgt. Nicholas Novak humbly accepted the applause from the line of NYPD well-wishers as he left Jacobi Hospital, with his pregnant wife by his side.
Novak, a 12-year veteran of the department, is currently assigned to the 49th Precinct’s Quality of Life Enforcement Team, or Q-Team, officials said. He and his wife are expecting their third child.
Novak suffered a serious head injury as he and his fellow officers grappled with an armed 18-year-old Antonio Morales, who had just fired off several shots as cops approached, officials said.
The violent confrontation erupted at the teen’s home on E. Gun Hill Road near Hone Ave. in Williamsbridge around 9:16 p.m. on Thursday.
Officers at the scene first thought Novak was grazed by a stray bullet, but it was later determined that he struck his head when he was thrown onto the hallway floor.
The sergeant was conscious and talking as he was rushed to Jacobi Hospital.
Morales, who authorities say already has a violent past, was shot twice in the melee and was in critical condition at the same hospital, officials said.
The teen was shot once in the lower back. A second bullet entered his armpit and chipped his spine, his mother told the Daily News on Friday.
Criminal charges against Morales were pending Saturday.
Cops were called to Morales’ home after his father told police that the teen had robbed his mother and brother at gunpoint.
The officers showed up at the address and tried to “keep the door closed” on the first-floor apartment where Morales was found as they waited for an NYPD Emergency Service Unit to arrive, NYPD Chief of Patrol Philip Rivera said Thursday.
As the officers waited, Morales fired off three rounds from inside the apartment, flew open the door and ran right into the responding officers.
“A struggle ensued as officers attempted to take him into custody, and one officer fell backwards and hit his head,” Rivera recounted. “An officer then discharged a firearm, striking the perpetrator twice, once in the lower back and once in the right arm.”
Cops recovered a loaded firearm and a bag from the teen.
The teen’s mother, who admitted her son suffers from a mental illness, told The News a different account of the circumstances that led police to the scene. She claimed her son hadn’t robbed her and that the entire feud was between Morales and his father.
Among Morales’ recent arrests was a Jan. 8 bust for attempted murder in an incident involving a 15-year-old, cops said.
Morales, who was 17 at the time and has two tattoos on his face reading “007” and “Loyalty,” was released after paying $35,000 bail, according to court papers.
The teen has also been a victim of a shooting and has been listed as a witness in two other acts of violence, according to police sources with knowledge of the case.
“One of the most dangerous situations any police officer can respond to is a domestic violence incident,” said Vincent Vallelong, the president of the Sergeants’ Benevolent Association, who was in attendance during Novak’s walkout Saturday. “The individual involved in this shooting had a violent criminal history and posed a serious threat to society. The brave actions demonstrated by our Sergeant exemplify the dedication and commitment our members make every day in keeping the public safe.”
“We’re extremely fortunate that although this Sergeant sustained serious head injuries, he is expected to make a full recovery,” he said.
