A New York Police Department (NYPD) officer caught in a deadly love triangle has been charged with murder after allegedly killing her ex-girlfriend’s new lover on Wednesday.
What happened: Yvonne Wu, 31, who works at the 72nd Precinct in Sunset Park, allegedly broke into the Bensonhurst home of her ex-girlfriend, Jenny Li, before shooting her and her new lover, Jamie Liang. Wu and Li reportedly dated for two years until they broke up three weeks ago.
- Li, 23, reportedly arrived home with Liang, 24, around 5 p.m. Wu, who was off-duty at the time, allegedly broke into the residence at 19th Avenue and 79th Street through an unlocked back door.
- Armed with an NYPD-issued Glock 19, Wu allegedly fired multiple shots that later killed Liang. Li narrowly escaped death after taking a bullet that struck her arteries and one of her lungs.
- Amid the chaos, Li reportedly managed to call 911. The responding officer said they heard someone in the background declare, “That’s what you get.”
- A calm and collected Wu was arrested on the scene. “I shot them both,” she told police, according to a source who spoke with the New York Daily News. “The gun’s inside. You can take me in.”
The charges: Wu, a decorated five-year veteran of the force, was charged with murder and attempted murder on Thursday night. The shooting has since left neighbors on edge.
- Following her arrest, Wu reportedly told other officers that she wanted to kill herself. As of late Thursday, she remained at NYU Langone Hospital-Brooklyn for evaluation.
- The Staten Island resident began her career as a member of the NYPD’s Explorers program. Sources said she received four medals and good evaluations consistently, according to the New York Post.
- The New York Attorney General’s Office of Special Investigation (OSI) announced on Friday that it is investigating the case. “Pursuant to New York State Executive Law Section 70-b, OSI assesses every incident reported to it where a police officer or a peace officer, including a corrections officer, may have caused the death of a person, by an act or omission,” the office said in a news release.
- Wu has been suspended from service without pay, an NYPD officer reportedly said. It’s unclear whether she has an attorney as of this writing.
What the victims’ loved ones are saying: Wu had been in an altercation with the new couple at least once before the incident, according to friends. They believe the bloodshed could have been prevented if only the matter was reported ahead.
- “It should have been prevented. The cop was already stalking them,” a friend of Liang’s told the Daily News. “[Jenny] didn’t want the police involved. She wanted to handle it on her own. She thought she could handle it.”
- A GoFundMe page that seeks to raise funds for Liang’s funeral arrangements has collected more than $33,000 as of this writing. Organizer Elaine Zhao described the 24-year-old as a beloved friend who “filled every room with her kindness and lovely spirit.”
