The “chaotic” brawl outside a popular Midtown Manhattan restaurant during which New York Jets cornerback Kris Boyd was shot and critically wounded was sparked when a group “chirped” the NFL player and his companions about their stylish clothes, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said at a press briefing on Thursday.
Boyd, 29, his teammates Irvin Charles and Jamien Sherwood and a friend from Boyd’s native Texas whose birthday they were celebrating pulled up to the Asian-fusion “speakeasy” and celeb hotspot Sei Less around 2 a.m. on Sunday in a Cadillac Escalade, Kenny said.
As they entered the restaurant, a group of four to five men standing outside “begin to ‘chirp’ them about the clothing that they’re wearing, and are asking them, ‘What, do you think you’re better than us?’” Kenny said.
The Jets players and their friend went inside the place but left about 10 minutes later after deciding they didn’t like the “vibe.” As they were leaving, they encountered the same group, who again began to “verbally insult them, and once again, questioning their clothing,” Kenny continued.
The Jets crew had ignored the earlier taunts, but when they were mocked again on their way out, they verbally defended themselves, Kenny said they told cops. The argument eventually escalated to an all-out brawl and “pretty chaotic scene” involving 50 to 60 people, Kenny said.
The shooter fired two bullets from a 9mm handgun, one of which struck Boyd in his chest, traveled into his lung and is “currently lodged in his pulmonary artery,” Kenny said.
Afterward the shooter ran off the block and was picked up by someone in a white BMW, according to Kenny. Police have video of two cars speeding out of the garage across from the restaurant, smashing through the garage’s mechanical arm and fleeing onto Broadway after the shooting, Kenny said.
Cops have identified a person of interest in the shooting based off of a Crime Stoppers tip, but have not arrested anyone yet as investigators work to establish probable cause, Kenny said.
There was no indication that the rival group members, who had earlier eaten in the restaurant, knew that Boyd or his companions were pro football players, Kenny said.
Police recovered a $185,000 watch at the scene, but no one from either group has come forward to claim it, Kenny said.
On Wednesday, Boyd posted on social media updating his fans on his recovery.
“God is real. God is powerful. I’m sorry I have no words at the moment … just grateful,” Boyd posted on Instagram, along with a picture of him smiling in a hospital bed.
“I’m coming along, starting to breathe on my own now,” the 29-year-old NFL star added. “Sincerely appreciate everyone!”