Police swarmed a neighborhood in Brooklyn early Friday after a man being eyed in an FBI probe appeared to have a weapon and ran inside a building, a senior law enforcement official and cops tell News 4.
What to Know
- Gunfire erupted in Brooklyn early Friday amid an FBI investigation into a violent illegal money scheme
- One of three suspects wanted in connection with a homicide related to that ring was spotted and appeared to have a weapon; no one was hurt
- Chopper 4 over the scene showed a street block cornered off with several police vehicles in the area as authorities investigated
Police swarmed a neighborhood in Brooklyn early Friday after a man being eyed in an FBI probe appeared to have a weapon and ran inside a building, a senior law enforcement official and cops tell News 4.
The official says the FBI is looking into a loan-sharking scheme that involved a homicide in Queens in October 2017. One of three suspects thought to be connected to that killing was spotted on Maple Street in Prospect-Leffert Gardens around 5:30 a.m., the official says.
That suspect had a knife with a handle, which looked like a gun, according to the senior official. An FBI agent was involved in the fray. Some shots were fired, though it wasn't clear how many or by whom. No one was hit by the gunfire.
Chopper 4 was over the scene, which showed a street block cornered off with several police vehicles in the area as authorities investigated.
The suspect was taken into custody and has subsequently been identified as Wilbert Bryant, 54, resident of Prospect Lefferts Garden area in Brooklyn, according to prosecutors.
Bryant is charged with extortionate collection of credit conspiracy, extortionate collection of credit, unlawful use and posession of firearms and causing death through use of firearm in connection to the alleged extortion that resulted in the Oct. 23, 2017 murder in Queens.
He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison in that case.
Bryant has been released from the hospital and will be arraigned in Brooklyn Federal Court sometime after 2:30 p.m.
