Police have released the mug shot of the 22-year-old man they believe viciously attacked a livery cab driver last Friday evening.
Cab surveillance video allegedly captured Shawn Peace pulling a gun on 53-year-old cabbie Trevor Bell and critically wounding him, investigators say.
Police asked for the public's help in finding Peace, describing him as a "person of interest" wanted for questioning in the shooting.
According to The New York Post, Peace is part of an armed hold-up gang that's hit at least 16 times in Queens in the last six months. Peace allegedly played a role in all of the heists, which involved armed robberies of livery drivers and fast-food spots, the paper reports.
None of the 16 robberies had turned violent. Until last week.
The video shows the man cops say is Peace turning toward the driver and demanding cash. Bell was shot in the neck while sitting behind the wheel of a gold Chevy Impala on a dead-end street in South Ozone Park, police said. He was brought to Jamaica Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.
Bell had been working for Big D's Car Service for almost seven months, said owner Frank Favors, 71.
"He's a very nice guy," Favors said.
Favors also said the suspect had come into the service's headquarters and specifically asked for a ride to the dead end before the shooting.
Peace has four sealed arrests, including for resisting arrest and robbery, according to the Post.
Anyone with information in regards to this incident is asked to call Crime stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.
