Raymond Martinez, MAC-10 Pistol-Wielding Peddler, Shot and Killed by Plain Clothes Cop Near Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square

Pistol-wielding peddler, Raymond Martinez, 25, of the Bronx, was shot and killed by a plain clothes police officer in, what has been characterized by the NY Daily News as a wild shootout near the Marriott Marquis in bustling, tourist-filled Times Square Thursday morning. He was shot in the torso and his brother was taken into custody. As someone who has lived in New York City in the past, I recall all too well the peddlers hanging around Times Square and the subway. The police officer was unhurt but taken to the hospital for trauma. When have you ever heard of a street peddler being armed with a MAC-10 machine pistol? This dirtbag was up to no good. According to the NY Daily News, the weapon had 27 bullets in the magazine.

Here's another thing I can't understand, is how could the officer engage in a shoot-out in such a crowded place? If that is true, then the officer literally endangered the lives of these people, just as the dirtbag, Raymond Martinez did. The area is usually bustling with tourists and other people, but especially during the holiday season there are more people in Times Square. Witnesses said Martinez was selling CDs along Broadway and W. 45th street around 11 a.m. when two police officers asked him for a permit. The man fled, but turned and fired at cops about a block away when he reached the hotel.

According to the Daily News, two bullets struck the Broadway Baby souvenir store, hitting a display of "Wicked" memorabilia, T-shirts and mugs. I am glad that no-one else got hurt and I am sure the people milling around Times Square were scared out of their minds.