By Amaris Castillo
Feris Jones seemed surprised to see photographers waiting for her when she arrived at the Brooklyn Borough Hall Plaza in downtown Brooklyn on Thursday morning. The NYPD Detective smiled shyly for the cameras, then looked away.
The 50-year-old officer’s low-key demeanor was in stark contrast to her actions last Saturday, when she exchanged gunfire with a man trying to hold up a Bedford-Stuyvesant hair salon. The incident brought her front-page fame and a promotion to detective on Tuesday by Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
Detective Jones, in her dress uniform, was formally honored as a hero in a ceremony Thursday presided over by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, and attended by New York City elected officials, co-workers and friends.
Jones has worked in an NYPD crime lab in Queens for 20 years and prefers to be called Jonesy. She was getting her hair done inside Sabine’s Hallway Natural Hair Salon at 320 Franklin Ave. when a teenager armed with a pistol stormed in and tried to rob the business.
According to police, when Det. Jones identified herself to the man, he fired a shot in her direction. According to the police account of the incident, as reported in the Daily News, Det. Jones drew her weapon and fired five shots at the gunman, which knocked the gun out of his hand and blew the doorknob off, trapping him inside the store.
No injuries were reported. The Daily News reported that the man fled the scene after kicking out the glass on the front door’s lower portion.
The suspect, Winston Cox, 19, was captured on Monday and charged with attempted murder, attempted robbery and criminal possession of a weapon.
Markowitz said that neither he nor Jonesy is really proud of Cox.
“A shame,” he said. “We lost him and thank God that Jonesy was there to make sure that he didn’t take anyone with him – and that’s the bottom-line.”
The Borough President described Cox’s behavior as dangerous to the public and himself.
“To ensure that once a young person commits an infraction against the law,” Markowitz said, “that’s the time to tag that young person and to provide the necessary attention to ensure that that young person has a chance to lead a positive and productive life.”
Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol (D-Northern Brooklyn) spoke directly to Det. Jones.
“Like every New Yorker, every Brooklynite who heard this story of your heroism, we were truly and indeed proud,” he said, “not only of your marksmanship, but also that the perpetrator survived.”
“Amen to that!” shouted someone from the crowd.
On a lighter note, Assemblyman Lentol said he thought this should have been a movie. He even came up with a title.
“Feris Jones’ Day Off,” he said. The crowd laughed.
As other elected officials spoke, Det. Jones continued to smile shyly from beside the podium. Her hair was dreadlocked and twisted neatly into a large bun on her head. Her eyes widened whenever she recognized someone in the crowd.
Markowitz presented Det. Jones with a proclamation declaring the day as Detective Feris Jones Recognition Day. He also presented Det. Jones with a replica of the Brooklyn Bridge, a gift he said he only gives to presidents and prime ministers of other countries as a token of remembrance of the city.
Sabine Bellevue, the owner of Sabine’s Hallway Hair Salon, greeted Det. Jones with a large bouquet of flowers.
“It was God that placed her there,” she said of Det. Jones.
The salon is currently closed because of extensive damage, Bellevue said afterwards to reporters. She said she expects it to be re-opened in mid-November.
Det. Jones was the last to speak at the podium. Her eyelids still damp with tears, she waved shyly at the group of photographers crowding close to her. She just wanted to give thanks.
“At least we’re all in one piece,” she said. “That was the main objective.”
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