BUFFALO, N.Y. — One of the three Buffalo Police officers who was wounded during a shootout with a suspect last week was released from a hospital on Thursday.
Officer Joseph McCarthy was released from Erie County Medical Center on Thursday morning to a crowd of fellow Buffalo Police Department officers and New York State Troopers who gave him a big applause.
He was shot in the chest and had to go through two surgeries in his week and a half at the hospital, but he is expected to make a full recovery.
"This is a tremendous relief," Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said. "We had one officer that was released shortly after his arrival. The other officer, who was here today to see Officer McCarthy off, was released later on that night, thankfully.
"And to see Joe walk out of here today, to see him walk out, that really is uplifting to everybody in the department and the community."
The suspect in the shooting, 28-year-old Kente Bell, is facing a list of charges that include three counts of attempted murder of a police officer in the first degree. He has also been charged with criminal possession of a weapon and faces vehicle and traffic charges.
Since Erie County Court Judge Kenneth Case ordered Bell continued to be held without bail on a probation matter, a felony hearing on the charges related to the shooting did not take place.
Bell is due back in court in that case in May.