From the Daily News by Zachary Goelman, Zak Failla and Wil Cruz :
A Bronx man was mortally wounded by cops after he opened fire on them, sparking a fierce shootout on the street, police and witnesses said.
Oswaldo Sevilla Moran, 31, was shot in the chest during the gun battle with four uniformed cops in Longwood, the Bronx.
"He turned and fired several shots," a police source said of Sevilla Moran. "Our guys fell back behind a van and returned fire."
Sevilla Moran was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where he died an hour later. The cops in the shootout were treated for trauma there, police said.
A .32-caliber semiautomatic handgun was recovered near his body at the scene, cops said.
"This is as clean as it gets," said a police source of the shooting.
The cops were given Breathalyzer tests, sources said.
The gunfire erupted after a concerned citizen approached two patrol cops at Southern Blvd. and Avenue St. John about 2:30 a.m.
"That man has a gun," the witness told them, according to the source.
Around the same time, a 911 caller reported hearing shots in the area.
When cops went to investigate, Sevilla Moran, who had blended into a crowd, tried to sneak away, police said.
"It was obvious he had a gun in his hand," said a police source. "They ordered him to drop his gun."
That's when Sevilla Moran pulled the trigger, police said. A backup team arrived to assist the officers, and witnesses said they heard 30 to 40 shots fired.
The suspect's roommate said he was a construction worker who left his Mott Haven apartment to buy a soda.
"I'm surprised, in shock," said the 25-year-old roommate, who didn't want to give her name.
"It's not easy when someone comes to your door and says your friend is dead," she added. "He doesn't deserve it."
Francisco Sevilla, Oswaldo's heartbroken father, questioned whether police needed to shoot his son - who emigrated from Mexico 16 years ago.
"Why didn't they talk to him?" asked Francisco Sevilla, 56. "They're supposed to be professionals."
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