A Finest shot during a vicious road-rage brawl with two brothers received rousing support from about 100 other NYPD cops as he was released from Elmhurst Hospital on Friday.
Officer Christoper Campos offered a wave to the crowd of blue from inside an NYPD ambulance after he was wheeled out of the Queens medical center, where he underwent surgery for a gunshot wound to the knee.
The cop was wounded — even after identifying himself as a police officer, noted Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, at a subsequent press conference.
“We have to ask the question: When our officers ID themselves, why do these individuals think they can just take a gun from the New York City police officer?” Hendry said.
“Why did they think they can kill a New York City police officer? Why do they think they had no fear to attack the New York City police officer?”
The union big added, “We’re grateful that our brother police officer came out of this hospital today.
“He still has a long road to recovery, and we’re hopeful that he’s going to make a full recovery,” Hendry said. “We’re thankful to the nurses, to the doctors — we’re thankful to the entire staff here at Elmhurst Hospital for what they did for our police officer.”
Hendry said Campos left the hospital in “good spirits.”
His release came just hours after the two brothers charged with the attack were tossed in jail without bond.
Shawn, 27, and Edwin Rivera, 32, each face up to 25 years behind bars after they were caught on camera trying to wrestle Campos’s gun away from him Wednesday at the intersection of Queens Boulevard and 70th Street in Elmhurst.
The melee erupted after Campos, driving a green Kia Soul, skirted around — and nearly hit — the brothers’ white Chrysler Pacifica that was blocking the road, according to a criminal complaint.
Campos, who was off duty, stopped and reversed his car to inspect the situation when Shawn allegedly sprinted toward the green car and punched through its back window.
Campos then got out of his car — gun drawn — and told the brothers he was a cop and was going to arrest them, the court papers say.
Though Edwin at one point ordered his brother to leave Campos alone, he ultimately joined his brother in pushing Campos before grabbing the officer by his neck and dragging him to the ground.
According to the complaint, one of the brothers shouted: “Get his gun, he’s nothing without his gun!”
Both Edwin and Shawn allegedly wrestled with Campos on the Queens road with such ferociousness that the off-duty officer struggled to breathe and began to lose consciousness.
In a last-ditch effort to save himself as he waited for help to arrive, Campos fired his gun one time, striking Edwin in the hand and himself in the leg, officials said.
Campos is still unable to walk, officials said.
“He’s a hard-working, police officer that goes out every single day on the streets in the city and risks his life to protect New Yorkers. And that’s what all of our police officers do every single day,” Hendry said.
The Rivera brothers — who each have criminal histories — are charged with first-degree assault, assault on a police officer, attempted criminal possession of a weapon, strangulation and related crimes.