NYPD Officer with 'Heartwarming Smile' Is Fatally Shot by His Father in Murder-Suicide

The NYPD is grieving after losing one of their own last week.

Officer Alexis Martinez was shot and killed by his father on Wednesday in a murder-suicide, police say, according to multiple outlets including CBS News, ABC7 and News 12. Martinez, 26, was asleep in his father's Soundview apartment in the Bronx when the older man — who according to relatives was having mental health problems — shot him in the head around 12:45 p.m., an NYPD spokesperson told the New York Post. The father then turned the gun on himself in another room of the residence.

Martinez — who joined the NYPD in 2018 and worked in the Bronx narcotics division — was part of a baseball team made up of fellow officers, and when he failed to show up for a game, a friend from his division went to check on him and discovered the tragic scene, per the Post.

Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban shared a video on Twitter (now known as X) of Martinez's body being removed from the apartment, draped with an American flag.

"Our hearts are heavy as we honor our fallen brother, Police Officer Alexis Martinez, who was tragically taken from us earlier today," Caban tweeted on Wednesday. "We stand by his family and fellow officers as they face this unspeakable loss. Please keep our officer and his loved ones in your thoughts and prayers."

NYC Mayor Eric Adams also posted a message about Martinez's death on X.

"Anyone who has worn the NYPD uniform knows this pain. We know how afraid our families were to get this call," Adams wrote. "On behalf of the city he served, I offer our deepest condolences to Officer Alexis Martinez's family, loved ones, and brothers and sisters in the NYPD."

On Sunday night, Martinez's friends and family gathered at a prayer vigil at the 34th Precinct in Washington Heights, where the late officer served four out of five years of his career with the NYPD, according to ABC7. The group released balloons into the sky in his honor.

NYPD Commanding Officer Aneudy Castillo spoke about how much Martinez's police job meant to him. "It was important to him to have purpose in life and pursue a career that would give him that purpose and that satisfaction of knowing when you put in a day's work, you've helped your community, you've made a difference," he said, per ABC7.

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Martinez's cousin Felix Camacho remembered him as someone who was always ready to help others. "He looked after his people. A heartwarming smile, laugh. Anybody that knew him knew his smile," Camacho said, noting that Martinez inspired him to pursue a career in law enforcement.

Camacho also shared that Martinez's family members are devastated by his death, especially his mother. "It's going to take her a long time because she really loved her son and he really loved his mom," he told CBS New York.