Indian-American Cop Hailed as Hero for Neutralizing Gunman who Killed Officer

HI INDIA NEWS DESK
NEW YORK, NY – An Indian American police officer, who has been on the job for just over six months, is being hailed a hero for rushing to neutralize a gunman who shot a police officer and wounded another.

Sumit Sulan, 27, shot the assailant who surprised the officers opening fire on them in his mother’s flat on Jan. 21 where police were called because of a domestic dispute.

Jason Rivera, 22, was killed and Wilbert Mora, 27, was wounded, but Sulan who was in the police party advanced and shot the alleged gunman, Lashawn McNeil, 47, according to police.

Before taking on the gunman, Sulan had moved the mother and her other son to safety, police said. Sulan and his two colleagues had gone to the flat in the Harlem neighborhood in response to a call by McNeil’s mother that her son was threatening her.

He had a close escape when he rushed to take on McNeil as the man allegedly was firing with a super-charged weapon – a modified Glock pistol fitted with a high-capacity drum with 50 rounds, turning it into a virtual machine gun.

His mother Dalvir Sulan told the New York Post: “I’m proud. Everyone (says) he did good.” She said that he was still struggling to deal with the events and “his brain is stuck on the situation”.

The family had immigrated to the US about 15 years ago from India. Sulan, who entered the police force only in April 2021, has been nicknamed “Super Rookie”, according to the Post. He had worked for the city as a taxi and limousine inspector before joining the police.

So far everyone has been silent about Sulan and have not attacked him for shooting McNeil, who is African-American.