A 20-year-old Bronx man is being held without bail after being charged with attempted murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the shooting of New York Jets player Kris Boyd.
After an extensive manhunt, Frederick Green was taken into custody near the University of Buffalo North Campus in Amherst, New York, on Monday morning before being transported to a Midtown Manhattan police precinct, where he was formally charged Tuesday.
Boyd, 29, was shot in the abdomen on Nov. 16 at 2 a.m. during a dispute outside a popular Manhattan restaurant. Initially listed in critical but stable condition with a bullet lodged in his lung. He was released from the hospital and surprised the Jets last Wednesday with a visit to the team facility. Boyd was accompanied by teammates Jamien Sherwood and Irvin Charles at the time of the shooting.
Investigators believe Green fled the New York City area to avoid capture, according to the U.S. Marshals office. He cut off an extensive amount of his hair following the shooting, and prosecutors said that was an attempt to avoid apprehension. Video of the shooting outside Sei Less on West 38th Street was recovered, prosecutors said, adding that Green was unmasked before, during, and after the shooting. He also changed his phone device and deactivated his social media accounts to avoid apprehension, they said.
Detectives identified Green through witness tips and surveillance, and followed him to the Buffalo area, tracking a grey Mercedes registered to his girlfriend when they got a tip that he was staying with a friend Amherst.
Early Monday morning, the U.S. Marshals Service in Buffalo, along with the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force, confirmed Green's presence in a second-floor apartment, the U.S. Marshals office said.
Green was seen peeking out the apartment window looking for an escape avenue but retreated inside after seeing the team and a canine officer. As the team began to evacuate the tenants in the neighboring apartments to safety, Green exited his apartment with his hands up.
Authorities were unable to locate the unrecovered firearm involved in the shooting, per the U.S. Marshals.
Boyd signed a one-year, $1.6 million contract with the Jets last March after playing for the Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in training camp.
Known for his special teams prowess, Boyd attended a special teams meeting last week and broke down the meeting when it was over, much to the delight of teammates and coaches. Boyd was seen using a walker for assistance.
Boyd's visit came one week after he posted on social media that he had returned to the hospital "due to my health issues."