An NYPD Officer Was Killed in an 'Unprovoked' Shooting Through the Window of Her Car

A NYPD police officer was fatally shot early Wednesday while on patrol in the Bronx borough of New York City, the Associated Press reports.

Miosotis Familia and her partner were sitting in a marked patrol vehicle when the gunman, Alexander Bonds, shot and killed Familia with a revolver through the window before running from the scene. Her partner immediatey radioed in about the shooting, prompting officers to chase and eventually shoot the ex-convict about a block away from the initial scene. A bystander was also wounded, but is reported to be in stable condition. NYPD Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill told reports the attack was "unprovoked." 

While the shooter's motive isn't totally clear, he posted a rant about police brutality on Facebook in September, saying "It's time for people to wisen up," according to the AP. Tension between cops and citizens has led to a lot of disturbing violence over the past few years, and this conflict likely contributed in part to the tragic shooting of Officer Familia.

The New York Times reports that Bonds had a long history of arrests, and was released from prison on parole in 2013 after spending eight years there for robbery.

Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke at a news conference at the hospital where Familia was pronounced dead, according to the AP, saying, “She was on duty serving this city, protecting people, doing what she believed in and doing the job she loved." Familia had spent her 12 years with the NYPD in the Bronx, and leaves behind three children.