Attempted murder charges as US officer shot

A man wanted for illegal gun possession was charged yesterday with the attempted murder of a New York City plainclothes police officer who was shot in the head while pursuing the suspect in his unmarked car, authorities said.

Officer Brian Moore, 25, remained in critical but stable condition, a spokeswoman for the New York Police Department said.

Police identified the suspect in the shooting in the New York borough of Queens on Saturday as Demetrius Blackwell, 35. He was arrested soon after the shooting and yesterday he was charged with attempted murder, assault, and two counts of criminal possession of a weapon, the NYPD said.