Teens charged for shooting off-duty cop in Far Rockaway

Mayor Eric Adams speaks at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center following the non-fatal shooting of rookie NYPD officer Manuel Soto in Far Rockaway on Feb. 1.  Screenshot via NYC mayor’s office/Twitter

By Jacob Kaye

Two Queens teens who allegedly shot an off-duty NYPD officer during an attempted carjacking, and who later fired at two other officers, were charged with attempted murder and other charges in Queens Criminal Court Thursday.

Chad Collie, a 19-year-old from Far Rockaway, and Jayare Robinson, an 18-year-old from Arverne, were arraigned before Queens Criminal Court Judge Laurie Peterson on a 13-count and 11-count indictment, respectively. Collie, who faces 25 years to life in prison, was charged with two counts of attempted murder, assault, attempted robbery and criminal possession of a weapon. Robinson was hit with the same charges, minus one of the attempted murder counts, and faces up to 25 years in prison.

Prosecutors say that Collie and Robinson walked up to a car stopped at a traffic light near Beach Channel Drive and Beach 62nd Street around 10 p.m., on Feb. 1.

Collie allegedly knocked on the window of the car, being driven by 22-year-old rookie police officer Manuel Soto, who was on his way to work.

Soto got out of the car and attempted to run away, according to law enforcement. Collie then fired three shots, hitting the police officer once in the shoulder. Soto shot back, missing both of the defendants, who both ran off.

Nearby officers, who were driving in an unmarked car, heard the gunshots and headed toward the scene, prosecutors said.

The officers stopped their car near the intersection of Beach Channel Drive and Beach 59th Street in front of Collie and Robinson and got out of the car, according to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz.

Collie then allegedly fired one shot in their direction, striking the back of the police car. The Far Rockaway man then tossed his gun, and the duo ran off, cops said. The pair was later arrested.

Police later recovered the gun and found three shell casings near the shooting of the off-duty officer, Katz said.

Soto was taken to Jamaica Hospital for treatment and was released Thursday.

“This was a brazen carjacking attempt that all-too-easily could have ended in yet another tragedy for NYPD and all New Yorkers,” Katz said in a statement. “This blatant disregard for human life must be answered with certain justice.”

Soto was the sixth NYPD officer to be shot in New York City this year.

The following morning, city officials and NYPD officers gathered for Wilbert Mora’s funeral. Mora was one of the two officers fatally shot at while responding to a call in Harlem on Jan. 21.

“The conversation we have been having over and over again – the over proliferation of guns, ready to use them on individuals in blue uniforms or blue jeans, they don’t care,” Mayor Eric Adams said following the shooting on Wednesday. “To see something like this happen repeatedly in our city is unacceptable.”

Both Collie and Robinson were remanded and ordered to return to court on Feb. 7.