Make New York Post a Preferred Source The gang member who shot two NYPD cops during a Manhattan robbery was ripped as a coward by one of the hero officers Monday — as the sullen shooter was sentenced to nearly two decades behind bars.
“There was no need for you to fire that gun only to serve your false sense of entitlement and power,” NYPD Lt. Carl Johnson wrote in a victim impact statement aimed at Joshua Dorsett.
Johnson’s dig came as Dorsett, 24, was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Manhattan Supreme Court after he admitted to wounding two officers he fired at after robbing a Canal Street mahjong parlor on Aug. 1, 2024.
The hero cop, who was struck by the same bullet that hit Sgt. Christopher Leap, said the shooting reasserted his “oath” to keeping the Big Apple safe from people like Dorsett.
“Joshua, every step I take, every time I lift my child, I am reminded of the sacrifices I make protecting this city,” the cop wrote, which was read aloud by Manhattan Assistant District Attorney John Johnsen.
“God willing, when you are released, you will be able to make a positive impact on the community,” the cop added.
Dorsett — who once whined after the arrest that when “one of y’all get shot and it’s a f—king problem” —was sentenced after he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault on a police officer involving a deadly weapon and robbery charges on Aug. 10.
Prosecutors recounted the cops’ heroics when they responded to a call of a suspect who stormed into a parlor and held a group of 20 people at gunpoint as they played dice.
Minutes later, Johnson and Leap, of the seventh precinct, spotted Dorsett and tried to restrain him on Eldridge Street near Delancey Street, prosecutors had said.
Dorsett, a member of the Up the Hill gang, fired his .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol that struck Johnson in the groin, as the same bullet passed through and grazed Leap in the leg just behind him, according to authorities.
“This case is an extraordinary example of strength and diligence,” Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Matthew Sears said, applauding the officers for going “beyond” their jobs.
Johnson and Leap were hailed as “the very best” by police Commissioner Jessica Tisch when they both were promoted to special assignment sergeants just a year after the shooting.
Dorsett declined to comment when given the chance to speak at his sentencing. His attorney, Dean Vigliano, said they plan to appeal the sentence.
Vincent Vallelong, the president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association union, thanked prosecutors and Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Laura Ward in a statement for ensuring “justice was served.”
“Without any hesitation, Sergeants Leap and Johnson jumped into action, pursued the perp and were shot while apprehending him,” Vallelong said. “Our city is safer because of their bravery.”
