A New Jersey man was shot by an NYPD officer and left town paralyzed

NEW JERSEY – The family of a New Jersey man paralyzed after an alleged road rage shooting is suing New York City.

Kishan Patel, 30, became a paraplegic and suffered severe brain injuries after he was allegedly shot by an off-duty NYPD officer in Camden County last May.

“He fired randomly into his van, causing terrible injuries,” said attorney Joseph Marrone.

Kishan Patel, 30, became a paraplegic and suffered severe brain injuries after he was allegedly shot by an off-duty NYPD officer in Camden County last May.

The Camden County District Attorney's Office said ballistics evidence from the crime scene linked NYPD Officer Hieu Tran and his department-issued firearm to the shooting.

“This officer has been described as a ticking time bomb,” Marrone said.

Tran was taken into custody back in June on attempted murder and other charges. He was suspended from the NYPD without pay.

At his detention hearing, it was discovered that Tran had significant drug problems and an alcohol addiction, which was known to his superiors.

Family Lawsuit in New Jersey

The lawsuit identifies victim Patel as an incapacitated person and his guardian to New York City officer Tran, Mayor Eric Adams and former police commissioner Edward Caban.

FOX 5 I asked the city for comment and it declined.

Investigators initially classified the incident as a road rage incident. The lawsuit states that New York knew that Tran suffered from significant mental health issues due to his long-standing alcoholism, and yet somehow was accepted into the NYPD and armed with a commission.

The lawsuit says Tran soon became a “problem officer” who needed to be “taken off the streets.” It is also noted that after serving in Harlem for less than three years, Tran was transferred to the position of deputy commissioner of public information.

“He really enjoyed his life, he worked really hard. He’s a great son, a great brother,” his mother said.

What happened to Kishan Patel?

According to the Voorhees Parish Police Department, 27-year-old Hieu Tran of Yonkers allegedly shot a 30-year-old driver with his service weapon on May 17.

During an initial investigation, evidence collected at the scene matched Trans's department-issued firearm.

Using surveillance video, cell phone records and ballistics evidence, investigators determined that Tran was responsible for shooting the victim during the alleged road rage incident.

Sister station FOX 29 reported that Patel was taken to Cooper University Hospital in Camden, where he was still receiving treatment nearly a month later, according to authorities.

Tran was also charged with second-degree aggravated assault and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. He is being held in New York awaiting extradition to New Jersey.