QUEENS, N.Y. — A Queens man was convicted of attempted murder in the first degree for the April 2023 shooting of NYPD Detective Brett Boller, following a violent altercation on an MTA bus in the Jamaica neighborhood. The conviction of Devin Spraggins, 24, was announced by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, who credited the work of prosecutors and the NYPD for securing the guilty verdict.
“Devin Spraggins attempted to assassinate a New York City police officer in cold blood,” said Katz. “The defendant shot Police Officer Brett Boller at point blank range, and it is only because of extraordinary medical intervention that Officer Boller is alive today and this is not a murder case.”
Spraggins was convicted of multiple charges related to the attack, including attempted murder in the first degree, assault in the first degree, aggravated assault on a police officer, and several counts of criminal possession of a weapon. However, he was acquitted of attempted murder against Officer Boller’s partner, Officer Anthony Rock, who was also involved in the incident but was unharmed.
The incident occurred on April 5, 2023, when Spraggins, who was riding an MTA bus on Jamaica Avenue, punched a fellow passenger. The bus driver flagged down Officer Rock for assistance, who then called Officer Boller to the scene. As the officers attempted to question Spraggins, he pushed Officer Boller and fled. The two officers pursued him on foot through the busy Jamaica business district.
During the chase, Spraggins dropped a loaded magazine onto the street, but managed to retain his firearm. When Officer Boller caught up to him, Spraggins turned and fired, hitting Boller in the upper thigh. The bullet pierced Boller’s femoral artery and shattered his hip, putting his life in danger. According to trial testimony, Spraggins attempted to fire again but his weapon was empty.
After shooting Boller, Spraggins continued to threaten Officer Rock, taking a shooter’s stance and aiming at him before fleeing into a nearby parking garage. Surveillance footage later captured him discarding his jacket and sweatshirt, before leaving the scene in a Lyft vehicle. He was arrested the next day at a residence in the Bronx following a police investigation.
Officer Boller, then 22, was transported to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where he underwent surgery for his injuries. He survived, thanks to timely medical intervention. Officer Rock, also 22, was unharmed in the incident.
Spraggins is scheduled for sentencing on December 2 before Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder. He faces a potential sentence of up to 40 years to life in prison for the attempted murder charge.
