A friend of a New York Police Department officer accidentally shot and killed himself Sunday morning after picking up the officer’s gun.
NYPD Housing Bureau Officer Martinson Afariyeboah allegedly had set his gun down on a table while he and his friend, Frederick Afoakwah, played video games early Sunday, according to the New York Post. The 21-year-old Afoakwah picked up the gun and allegedly turned it on himself while taking a look.
.@nypost EXCLUSIVE — An NYPD officer’s friend grabbed his gun while they played video games on Easter morning and accidentally shot and killed himself, sources said https://t.co/kH0EmrjqGZ via @TinaMoorereport
— Connor Ryan (@connortryan) April 22, 2019
He then accidentally fired a single bullet into his neck and was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital for treatment. He later died from his injuries. (RELATED: Good Samaritan Shot At Waffle House While Handing Out Cash And Paying For Meals)
Afariyeboah was immediately suspended from duty and is being investigated by the Internal Affairs Bureau to determine if the officer had failed to safely secure his weapon, according to police sources.
“It’s pretty tragic and pretty stupid,” a police source told the New York Post.
“It was in the middle of the night. He took his gun and put it on an end table, and his friend took the gun and shot himself in the neck,” another police officer added.
Afariyeboah’s story was reported inconsistently, according to the police sources.