Shooter wanted in police officer’s murder still on the run

The man wanted in the fatal shooting of Nassau County police officer Arthur Lopez is still on the loose. Lopez, 29, was shot and killed late Tuesday morning when he pulled over a vehicle he believed fled from the scene of an accident in Bellerose Terrace, Nassau County officials said.

“He’s a true hero, a very decorated police officer of eight-years and he lost his life to a cold blooded murderer,” Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano said. “We can best honor him by hunting down this murderer.”

Just a day prior, Nassau County Police officers attended the funeral of officer Joseph Olivieri, 43, who was killed on Oct. 4 during a traffic accident on the Long Island Expressway allegedly caused by a drunken driver.

Lopez, an Emergency Services officer was on patrol with his partner on Northern Boulevard near the Nassau-Queens border when he believed he observed a silver Honda flee the scene of a vehicular accident around 11 a.m. Lopez directed his partner, who was driving, to follow the car southbound on the Cross Island Parkway along the edge of Belmont Park. The fleeing vehicle was described as “running on its rims,” Nassau County Police Chief Steven Skrynecki said.

The car exited the Cross Island heading westbound on Jamaica Avenue. A short while later, the officers pulled the car over at which point Lopez approached the driver’s side of the vehicle. Lopez and the suspect were observed having a brief conversation before the suspect exited his vehicle and shot Lopez in the chest. The partner rushed to Lopez’s side and attempted to revive Lopez who had not been wearing a bulletproof vest at the time of the shooting. Lopez, an eight-year veteran was pronounced dead at North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital.

After shooting Lopez, the suspect got back in the Honda and continued southbound on the Cross Island for a short distance before abandoning the vehicle. The suspect then hijacked another car and shot the driver in the head, killing him. The victim’s identity has not been released.