MOUNT VERNON, N.Y. (WABC) — Two Mount Vernon police officers have been placed on modified duty after a detainee was shot inside a police transport van on Thursday, triggering multiple investigations and renewed concerns over department procedures and oversight.

According to Mount Vernon police, the incident happened around midday as officers were transporting five detainees from city custody to the Westchester County Jail. Less than half a mile into the trip, officers reported hearing a single gunshot from the rear compartment of the transport vehicle. Moments later, one of the detainees called out that he had been struck by a bullet.

The officers immediately pulled over and returned to the Mount Vernon Police Department headquarters for assistance. Upon arrival, investigators discovered a .22-caliber handgun inside the van. Authorities identified the injured detainee as 32-year-old Louis Soto, a Bronx resident who was in custody on unrelated charges.

Soto was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to his lower leg. Police say his injury was not life-threatening. No officers or other detainees were harmed during the incident.

Police Chief Marcel Olifiers called the situation “extremely serious” and said the department is conducting a full internal investigation to determine how a firearm made it into a secure prisoner transport vehicle.
“This is a grave matter,” Olifiers said in a brief statement. “Our responsibility is to ensure the safety of everyone in our custody and our officers. We will review every step of this transport process to understand how this occurred and to make sure it never happens again.”

Both officers involved in the transport have been placed on modified duty pending the outcome of the investigation. The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office is also reviewing the case to assess whether criminal charges or policy violations are warranted.

A Gun That Shouldn’t Have Been There

Authorities have not explained how Soto allegedly managed to conceal a firearm during the arrest and booking process. According to standard protocol, all detainees are searched before being transported, though the department has recently altered some of those procedures.

Last year, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a critical report on the Mount Vernon Police Department, accusing it of violating detainees’ constitutional rights through excessive and invasive strip searches. Following the report, the department implemented new policies aimed at improving detainee treatment and limiting intrusive searches. Among those changes was a shift toward using metal detectors and magnetometers rather than physical strip searches.

Chief Olifiers noted that while those reforms were necessary, they may have introduced unforeseen vulnerabilities. “We are balancing the need to respect individual rights with the obligation to maintain officer and detainee safety,” he said. “We’re going to take a hard look at whether our current procedures strike that balance appropriately.”

Community Reaction and Broader Concerns

The shooting has reignited debate among community members who have long questioned the department’s leadership, staffing levels, and training practices.

“There are so many experienced officers who’ve left Mount Vernon for better pay or retirement,” said Jesse Van, founder of the advocacy group Save Mount Vernon. “Now we have younger, less experienced officers being trained by others who may not have the same depth of experience. Incidents like this show what can happen when there isn’t enough oversight or consistency.”

Van said the group does not believe the Justice Department’s restrictions on searches are solely to blame. Instead, he points to systemic issues, including leadership turnover and declining morale within the department.
“This isn’t just about one mistake,” he added. “It’s about a pattern of instability that puts everyone at risk — the officers and the people they’re responsible for.”

Department Under Pressure

The Mount Vernon Police Department has faced mounting scrutiny over the past several years. In addition to the DOJ report, city officials have fielded complaints from residents and activists alleging misconduct, lack of transparency, and poor internal accountability.

City leaders say they are committed to addressing those concerns while maintaining public safety. Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard released a brief statement late Thursday saying her office is “monitoring the situation closely” and will await the findings of both the police department’s and the district attorney’s investigations.

“This was an isolated but serious incident,” Patterson-Howard said. “We must hold ourselves to the highest professional standards. The community deserves nothing less.”

The Road Ahead

As of Friday afternoon, Soto remained hospitalized but was expected to recover fully. He is likely to face additional charges related to possession and use of the firearm discovered inside the transport van.

Meanwhile, investigators are reviewing body-worn camera footage, transport logs, and jail intake records to reconstruct the sequence of events leading up to the shooting.

“This is about accountability and learning,” Chief Olifiers said. “We have to understand what went wrong — and make sure it never happens again.”