NEW YORK (PIX11) — A person of interest was taken into custody after Jets cornerback Kris Boyd was shot in the abdomen outside a swanky Midtown restaurant last month, police said.
The suspect was apprehended on Monday in Amherst by U.S. Marshals Task Force Buffalo Division, according to News 4 Buffalo. The man’s name and age have not yet been released, cops said.
Boyd, 29, was shot in the abdomen during a brawl with the men outside of popular celebrity hotspot Sei Less on West 38th Street and Seventh Avenue at around 2 a.m. on Nov. 16, according to the NYPD.
Boyd was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. The bullet travelled to his lung and is lodged in his pulmonary artery, authorities said.
The melee broke out after a group of men were “chirping” about the athlete and his crew’s fashion choices outside the Asian fusion restaurant, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
Boyd, two Jets teammates, Irvin Charles and Jamien Sherwood, and a friend from Texas showed up at the fancy eatery to celebrate the friend’s birthday. On their way into the eatery, the group of men began “to chirp them” about their outfits before asking, “Do you think you’re better than us?” Kenny said.
After about 10 minutes inside the restaurant, Boyd and his friends decided they didn’t like the vibe and left, police said. On their way out, the same men confront them again and mock their clothing before a physical fight breaks out.
After the bullet hit Boyd, the shooter ran up the block and was picked up by a white BMW before fleeing the scene, police said.
Boyd was back at the team’s facility last week. The athlete surprised his teammates with his return, and he attended the Jets’ special teams meeting, breaking it down at the end and later chatting with players and coaches.
Boyd has posted on Instagram that said “health issues” landed him back in the hospital and he asked people to bear with him for not providing more updates.
“I was released but had to return to the hospital due to my health issues,” Boyd wrote. “I love and appreciate everyone of yall dearly who has prayed/reached out even if I can’t get back to you.”
Boyd, a Texas native, played his first four seasons with Minnesota after being a seventh-round pick by the Vikings out of the University of Texas in 2019. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2023 and then joined Houston’s practice squad later that season. Boyd signed a one-year contract worth $1.6 million with the Jets in March.
-Associated Press material was used in this report.