North Bellmore man charged in fight, shooting

Posted

A man has been charged after a fight with a retired law enforcement officer led to a non-fatal shooting on Bellmore Road in North Bellmore on Oct. 15.

At a Nassau County Police Department press briefing Oct. 16, Det. Lt. Richard LeBrun said the defendant, Michael Bua, 47, of 22 Stratford Court, and the victim, 62, were driving northbound on Bellmore Road around 11 p.m. last Tuesday night when they engaged in a “verbal dispute.”

LeBrun said that Bua, in a white Hyundai, drove past the victim, in a black SUV, and cut him off near Magnolia Road. Both drivers then exited their vehicles to confront each other, which escalated into a physical altercation.

Bua, wielding a black flashlight, struck the victim on the head “numerous times,” LeBrun said. The victim, acting in self-defense, removed a .38 Chief revolver from a concealed holster and fired a single round, striking Bua in the buttocks.

“When police arrived they did observe the victim bleeding heavily from his head, and they also observed the defendant with a gunshot wound,” LeBrun told reporters. “There’s no indication in the investigation yet that the men knew each other. We’re still looking at video tape and interviewing other witnesses.”

Both men were taken to a local hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries. After an investigation, Bua was placed under arrest and charged with second-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon. He will be arraigned after he is discharged from the hospital.

LeBrun could not disclose the victim’s name nor which department he previously worked for, but indicated that his gun was legally registered. As required by NCPD regulations, the victim’s pistol license was suspended and a number of firearms were removed from his home pending the outcome of the investigation.

LeBrun also told reporters that Bua was arrested and charged in 2006 for assaulting a police officer.

Sarah Chun, of the North Bellmore Civic Council, said she was thankful the situation didn’t escalate any further. She added, however, that the idea of gunfire in a dense residential neighborhood was “very unsettling” to her.

“The unfortunate reality is that distracted, rushed and aggressive driving seems to be on a rise,” she said in an emailed statement. “If nothing else, this incident serves as a reminder to drive safely, exercise caution and to plain old share the road.”

NCPD and the Nassau County District Attorney’s office are conducting the ongoing investigation. Follow the Herald Life for updates on this story.