The 26-year-old off-duty NYPD officer who was fatally shot by his own father in a Bronx murder-suicide was honored by the city’s top cop on Thursday.
Officer Alexis Martinez, 26, was asleep at his dad’s apartment in Soundview when the older man – who “may have been suffering from mental illness” – shot him in the head at around 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, an NYPD spokesman said.
The dad then turned the weapon on himself in another room of the home on Fteley Avenue near East 172nd Street, according to cops and police sources.
NYPD Officer Alexis Martinez, 26, was fatally shot by his dad in a Bronx murder-suicide. Facebook/NYPD
Martinez was fatally shot as he slept in his dad’s Fteley Avenue apartment, cops said. Stephen YangPolice Commissioner Edward Caban on Thursday posted a video of the slain cop’s body being removed from the home, draped in an NYPD flag as his colleagues in blue stood by and saluted.
“Our hearts are heavy as we honor our fallen brother, Police Officer Alexis Martinez, who was tragically taken from us earlier today,” the top cop tweeted. “We stand by his family and fellow officers as they face this unspeakable loss. Please keep our officer and his loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.”
Both Martinez and his dad were dead by the time responding officers arrived, cops said.
The slain cop was part of a baseball team made up of officers. A friend of his who worked with him in the same division went to check on him after he failed to show up for a game – and came upon the grisly scene, police said.
The slain cop’s officer friend came across the grisly scene when he went to check on him because he never showed up at a baseball game, sources said. Stephen Yang
Martinez joined the NYPD in 2018 and worked in the NYPD’s Bronx narcotics division. Stephen YangA pregnant woman who was inside the same apartment was hospitalized “because she was emotional,” the NYPD spokesman said. It wasn’t clear what her connection to the officer or his dad was.
Martinez, who joined the NYPD in 2018, worked in the NYPD’s Bronx narcotics division, according to sources. He has also served at the 34th Precinct.
“Our hearts break for our brother P.O. Alexis Martinez, his family and his coworkers,” the Police Benevolent Association tweeted. “Your prayers are needed as we support them through this unspeakable tragedy.”
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
