An intensive manhunt ended with the apprehension and arrest of a 20-year-old male suspected in the shooting of New York Jets player Kris Boyd, law enforcement agencies said Tuesday.
The suspect, whose name is being withheld by police, was transported to a Midtown Manhattan police precinct, where he was being questioned and faces charges. He was taken into custody near the University of Buffalo North Campus in Amherst, New York, on Monday morning.
Boyd, 29, was shot in the abdomen on Nov. 16 at 2 a.m. during a dispute outside a popular Manhattan restaurant. Initially listed in critical but stable condition with a bullet lodged in his lung, Boyd was released from the hospital and surprised the Jets last Wednesday with a visit to the team facility. He was accompanied by teammates Jamien Sherwood and Irvin Charles at the time of the shooting.
Investigators believe the suspect fled the New York City area to avoid capture, according to the U.S. Marshals office. The suspect was located in the Buffalo area, leading to a tense standoff at an apartment complex.
Early Monday morning, the U.S. Marshals Service in Buffalo, along with the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, confirmed the suspect’s presence in a second-floor apartment, the U.S. Marshals office said.
The suspect was seen peeking out the apartment window looking for an escape avenue but retreated inside after seeing the team and a canine officer. As the team began to evacuate the tenants in the neighboring apartments to safety, the suspect exited his apartment with his hands up.
Authorities were unable to locate the unrecovered firearm involved in the shooting, per the U.S. Marshals, which also said the suspect “significantly changed his physical appearance, presumably to avoid detection.”
Boyd signed a one-year, $1.6 million contract with the Jets last March after playing for the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in training camp.
Known for his special teams prowess, Boyd attended a special teams meeting last week and broke down the meeting when it was over, much to the delight of teammates and coaches. Boyd was seen using a walker for assistance.
Boyd’s visit came one week after he posted on social media that he had returned to the hospital “due to my health issues.”
