84th Precinct cop chased down armed suspect near Brooklyn courts, schools

P.O. Vahid Hodzic receives "Cop of the Month" award

November 15, 2024 Mary Frost

P.O. Vahid Hodzic, right, was honored as the 84th Precinct Community Council’s "Cop of the Month" for his take down in September of an armed suspect near courts and schools in Downtown Brooklyn. Presenting his award was the 84th Precinct’s Commanding Officer Capt. Thomas Maffei. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

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DOWNTOWN BROOKLYN — Fast action by an 84th Precinct police officer prevented what could have been a tragedy in Downtown Brooklyn.

P.O. Vahid Hodzic chased down and apprehended an armed man who was loitering suspiciously near Downtown’s courts and schools in an incident which took place in late September, according to the 84th Precinct’s Commanding Officer Capt. Thomas Maffei, speaking at the precinct’s Community Council meeting held on October 15 at Brooklyn Borough Hall.

Maffei described how the arrest unfolded, and presented the officer with the 84th Precinct Community Council’s “Cop of the Month” award for September.

On Sept. 25, Hodzic was on patrol with Sgt. Hector Justinico and P.O. Samantha Hill in their assigned court/school area when they were alerted about a suspicious man lingering nearby, Maffei told the crowd.

“Upon approach to the suspicious man, he then immediately took flight,” Maffei said. Hodzic took off after the runner and nabbed him after “a brief foot pursuit.”

The reason for the man’s flight became apparent when Hodzic searched him.

“Officer Hodzic was able to recover from the defendant a loaded semi-auto Glock 43,” Maffei said. “He placed the individual under arrest and brought him to the District Attorney’s Office, as well as charging him with possession of a loaded firearm in a school zone.

The crowd applauded as Hodzic unassumingly accepted his award.

Also honored during the meeting were two of the 84th Precinct’s civilian heroes — Boerum Hill residents Mark and Cheryl Gelbs — who received New York State Assembly Citations from Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon.

Other crime trends in the 84th

In other 84th Precinct news, Maffei said detectives were able to track down one of the causes of an unusual, recent spurt in residential burglaries in the precinct: one man hitting the same location seven times.

“The detectives worked that case very diligently, phenomenal case work, and ended up making an arrest and closing out those burglaries,” Maffei said, adding, “Seven burglaries at that one location. That’s what really pushed the burglaries number.”

While retail theft was up earlier this year, it declined 6% a month for the previous two months — “So we hope that’s a trend,” he said.

Maffei reported the precinct has seized 227 bicycles year-to-date “from people driving them illegally or recklessly,” he said. “In addition, bike lane summonses — people parking illegally in bike lanes — are up 180% on a year-to-year basis.”

Summonses for double-parking are also up, he said. “I feel like that’s helping us with the accidents. Some of the areas in the 84th are very tightly congested, so double-parking is going to echo, traffic-wise, numerous blocks.

“If you have a parking condition, it’s always good to place it in 311,” he advised. “I read the complaints every day and I give them to the NCOs to follow up on. I feel we are moving in the right direction with that.”