An NYPD officer who works for the department’s 86-member public relations team was charged with attempted murder on Friday after prosecutors say he shot a man in a New Jersey road rage incident last month.
Hieu Tran, 27, reportedly shot a 30-year-old man with whom he got into a multicar crash in Voorhees Township on May 17, according to Camden County prosecutors. He was charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault and possessing a gun for an unlawful purpose.
Police found three 9mm shell casings at the scene, a charging document from Camden County prosecutors states.
Tran used his NYPD gun in the shooting, according to ballistic evidence collected by the county’s detectives. He was arrested on Thursday and was extradited to New Jersey, prosecutors said in a statement on Friday.
Attorney information for Tran's lawyer was not immediately available. A spokesperson for the NYPD said Tran has been suspended without pay.
Tran joined the department in 2021 and received an award for “excellent police duty” the following year, according to police records. He made about $68,000 last year, city payroll data shows.
This story has been updated with comment from the NYPD and details from the charging document.