A Chinese national who had faced an attempted murder charge in connection with the August 2013 shooting of a Nassau County, N.Y., police officer in New Hyde Park pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree assault and first-degree burglary in exchange for a 30-year prison sentence, reports Newsday.
Cong Xu, then 21 and a Brooklyn resident, had admitted after his arrest that he fired three gunshots while fleeing a home burglary after encountering people inside, according to court records.
He admitted that he'd seen police outside as he tried to find his getaway car and ignored orders not to move before opening fire toward a nearby lawn.
Officer Mohit Arora suffered a gunshot to his lower abdomen after answering a 911 call in response to the Campbell Street break-in. Authorities said Arora, who joined the police force in 2007, needed surgery to repair his injuries after the bullet exited his right hip.
The officer said he was hospitalized for about 10 days after the shooting, then was out of work for six to eight months. Arora said he's back at work on light duty, although he hopes to return to full duty.
