The gangbanger who shot and wounded two NYPD sergeants after robbing several women at a Lower East Side business was out on probation in a crack cocaine case at the time, according to law-enforcement sources and court records.
Joshua Dorsett, 22, is facing charges including attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon and robbery after he allegedly firing off a shot during a struggle with the two officers on Eldridge Street, near Delancey Street, Thursday afternoon, according to cops and sources.
Sgt. Carl Johnson, 43, of the 5th precinct, was shot in the groin, and the same bullet passed through and grazed Sgt. Christopher Leap, 34, of the 7th precinct, in the left leg, police said.
Both cops were taken to Bellevue Hospital. Leap, an NYPD veteran of 11 years, was released from the hospital to cheers from a crowd of uniformed officers around 9 p.m. Thursday, while Johnson, who has 16 years on the force, remained hospitalized Friday afternoon.
Dorsett — described by NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny as a “known gang member” out on probation — allegedly robbed multiple women of their purses during an armed stickup at a Mahjong Parlor at 91 Canal Street at around 4:15 p.m.
The victims told cops that the robber had run off on Delancey Street, where the pair of sergeants spotted a person matching the description the women gave about seven minutes later, Kenny said at a press conference Thursday night.
They attempted to restrain him but the suspect, later ID’ed as Dorsett, resisted, leading the three of them to struggle against a vehicle, Kenny said.
That’s when Dorsett allegedly pulled a gun from his waistband and squeezed off one shot. The officers did not return fire, cops said.
Dorsett is affiliated with the local “Up the Hill” gang and has three prior arrests, including for criminal possession of a controlled substance, according to police.
He was out on probation — and had even visited his probation Thursday morning — in a drug case from 2022, according to cops and court records.
Dorsett was accused of being involved in selling crack cocaine to an undercover cop six different times on the Lower East Side between March 8 and June 6 of that year, according to a criminal complaint.
He pleaded guilty to criminal sale of a controlled substance in the fifth degree and was sentenced to three years probation May 22.
Dorsett was held at the 5th precinct overnight and was later hit with the charges, including two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and two counts of attempted murder while in commission of a crime for the Thursday mayhem, according to the sources.
Other responding officers were able to restrain Dorsett and take him into custody. Police recovered a .45 Taurus semi-automatic pistol at the scene, Kenny said.
Mayor Eric Adams commended both cops during the Thursday evening press briefing.
“To put your life at risk for others, to answer the calls of service and to respond and walk, run towards danger as people move away from it,” Adams said. “The NYPD moved quickly in response to this armed robbery and focused their resources to swiftly apprehend the perpetrator.”
The chaotic struggle frightened bystanders in the busy Lower Manhattan neighborhood.
“There’s a scuffle at this corner and there’s like four or five officers, and out of nowhere I hear a pop and everyone ducks,” witness Maxwell Vice, 25, told The Post. “I ducked because I didn’t know if there was going to be a shootout with the cops. But then, out of nowhere, like 400 cops came in.”
Vice described the suspect as a tall man wearing an all-gray Nike tracksuit.
“They said he had a gun, but I couldn’t tell because he was running so fast,” Vice said, describing the scuffle as one perp against about two dozen cops.
“He was pressing them,” he said. “When I saw he was pressing the police I was like, ‘Oh my God, someone’s gonna get shot.’ That’s why I crouched.
“Before I heard the shot, it was already clear that an altercation was going to happen. So I ducked because I wasn’t getting shot by no f–king bullet.”
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said he was relieved both sergeants will recover from Thursday’s shooting.
“And as the mayor said, today is yet another reminder of the dangers we’ll see police officers face every day as they go out there to keep our city safe,” Caban said.
Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Hendry said in a statement the incident involved “another repeat offender who thought he could attack police officers and escape justice” and called on the court system to be tougher in halting crime.
“We have been in courtroom after courtroom across this city, demanding real consequences for violence against police officers,” he said.
“Our justice system needs to start delivering those consequences – not just when the spotlight is on, but every single time.”
