NEW YORK - Authorities are confirming that all nine bystanders caught in the crossfire of a shooting outside the Empire State Building were wounded by two veteran patrolmen who had never fired their weapons on duty.

Officer Craig Matthews fired seven times and Officer Robert Sinishtaj fired nine times at Jeffrey Johnson on bustling midtown block Friday morning after Johnson, who'd shot a former co-worker to death, brazenly pointed his pistol at the officers.

Police had said that nine others were wounded likely by stray or ricocheting police bullets, and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly confirmed that Saturday.

He says that based on ballistic tests and other evidence, "it appears that all nine of the victims were struck either by fragments or by bullets fired by police."

They ought to ban New York Police having guns.

That's just plain stupid firing into crowds of people.

1. when shots are being fired,,,,DUCK!

2. police should be better trained, actually ANYONE owning a weapon should be mandated to be very well trained on using it accurately.

Even the bad guys?

if they own the gun legally, I guess we cant know they are a bad guy until someone dies,,,,

but we arent going to stop people from legally owning guns,, so its a moot point

The Cops must have been scared....."Spray and Pray" appears to be their version of gun control.

NYPD must send their guys to the Barney Fife school of shooting!