A cop reportedly drove himself to the hospital after being shot in the face Monday.
The New Bedford detective was driving an unmarked car when he was hit by gunfire around 8:45 p.m., according to 10 WJAR.
Bristol County DA Thomas Quinn was at the scene where the shooting happened just a few minutes ago. pic.twitter.com/7Qrezni7Ci
— Jodi Reed (@JReedTV) July 18, 2023
“The bullet penetrated through the driver’s side widow and struck him in the face,” Chief Paul Oliveira said at a Tuesday news conference.
Detective Lavar Gilbert managed to transport himself to St. Luke’s Hospital, where he received emergency medical treatment for the gunshot wound. He was reported to be in stable condition as of Tuesday. (RELATED: 9-Year-Old Boy Dies In Drive-By Shooting During Grandma’s Birthday Party)
Another man arrived at the same hospital soon after Gilbert with a gunshot wound to the foot. Investigators have yet to determine the circumstances of that man’s injuries.
“At this time, there is no indication that our detective was specifically targeted, nor is there a reason to believe that there is an ongoing threat to safety in the Goulart Square neighborhood,” police said.
No New Bedford officers fired their weapons during the incident, according to police. The suspect remains unidentified and no arrests have been made.
“We talk about matters of inches,” New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said. “This was much less an inch in terms of its risk of doing much, much more damage.”
Some New Bedford residents said they were not surprised by reports of the shooting.
“I hate to say it, but this isn’t the best area in the city, and living in this area you kind of get conditioned to crazy stuff,” said Robert Jardin, a resident of Orchid street. “There’s a lot going on in this area.”