New York City police say an off-duty sergeant who shot a man in the face on a Brooklyn street may have been thwarting an attempted robbery.

Chief of Department Terence Monahan said the man confronted the sergeant in Brooklyn just before 5 a.m. Thursday and the sergeant fired two shots.

Monahan said the 40-year-old sergeant and the 21-year-old man may have been involved in a prior dispute.

The sergeant called 911. The man is hospitalized in stable condition. Police haven’t released their names.

It’s not clear if the man was armed. Commissioner James O’Neill said no gun was found.

Investigators are interviewing witnesses and looking at video from nearby cameras.

Monahan said an initial review raised questions that compelled the department to put him on modified duty pending further investigation.

(AP)