Man's Spat With Mother Over Diet Leads To Cop's Death

KEY POINTS

The incident left one cop dead and another severely wounded
A third officer at the scene shot the gunman
The shooter had moved in with his mother to take care of her

A fight between a mother and son in Harlem led to a fatal shooting that killed a cop and left another fighting for his life.

The 47-year-old gunman, Lashawn McNeil, was having a spat with his mother about his vegan diet and allegedly verbally threatened her during the argument. His mother called 911 as she wanted officers to come to their house and talk to McNeil, according to the New York Times. However, things turned deadly after McNeil fired a volley of shots at the three officers as they tried to confront him.

“Why’d you do that?” his mother screamed as McNeil began firing, the Morning Call reported.

The gunman fatally shot officer Jason Rivera, 22, and stepped over his dying body to shoot at the others, police said. Officer Wilbert Mora, 27, was severely injured in the attack. A third officer, who rushed the mother and her second son to the kitchen for safety, shot McNeil in the head and arm. McNeil was critical when he was taken to the Harlem Hospital.

Officers Rivera and Mora were also rushed to Harlem Hospital, where the former succumbed to his injuries, cops revealed.

Tonight, we mourn the loss of a hero officer — a son, husband, and friend. Only 22 years old, Police Officer Jason Rivera was murdered in the line of duty. We vow to #NeverForget Jason as his fellow Finest vow to honor his tremendous legacy of service & the ultimate sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/5zsx45XiM4
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) January 22, 2022

“I am struggling to find the words to express the tragedy we’re enduring,” NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said Friday, reported New York Daily News. “The pain their families are feeling is not something anyone can put into words. They were listening to a mother who called needing help for her son. Our department is hurting. Our city is hurting. It is beyond comprehension."

McNeil had moved in with his mother to take care of her after she had heart surgery. However, the duo fought often, particularly about their diets because McNeil is vegan while his mother is not.

“We’ve been having problems,” the mother confessed to police officers as she called them to her apartment on the day of the shooting.

McNeil has been arrested on different occasions in the past and was convicted for drug possession about 19 years ago. His criminal history also includes a gun charge in North Carolina and an assault on a police officer in Pennsylvania.

Shirley Sourzes, who identified herself as McNeil’s mother at her Queens apartment, told the New York Post, “His mental state is very distorted, and that’s all I can say.”