NEW YORK, NY. (THECOUNT) — New York City police officer, Brian Mulkeen, was shot and killed in the Bronx area Sunday after an early morning struggle with a suspect, according to Sunday reports.

The NYPD identified the slain officer as 33-year-old Mulkeen as the victim.

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The fallen officer was patrolling the streets around the Edenwald Houses as part of the Bronx Borough Anti-Crime Unit, which was in the area because of gang activity, Chief of Department Terence Monahan said at a press conference at Jacobi Medical Center.

Mulkeen and his partner tried to apprehend a man who had fled questioning, and a struggle on the ground ensued, Monahan said.

Officials said Mulkeen can be heard yelling “he’s reaching for it, he’s reaching for it” on body camera video. Mulkeen was subsequently struck by three bullets, reports NBC4i.

NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill wrote on Facebook: “NYPD Police Officer Brian Mulkeen, a 33-yr-old Bronx cop, was killed about 12:30 a.m. while doing the courageous work New Yorkers needed him to do. He served for nearly 7 years. There is no worse a moment in our profession than this. Please keep Brian’s family & colleagues in your thoughts.”

DEVELOPING::

Geo quick facts: The Bronx is a borough of New York City. It’s known for Yankee Stadium, the home field of the New York Yankees baseball team. Dating from 1899, the vast Bronx Zoo houses hundreds of species of animals. Nearby, the sprawling New York Botanical Garden features a landmark greenhouse with rainforest and cactus displays. By the Hudson River, Wave Hill is a landscaped public garden with wooded paths and a cultural center – wikipedia.