A 16-year-old boy arrested in connection with a Coney Island fire that critically injured two NYPD officers and hurt several others allegedly said he started the fire because he was bored, police say.



The boy, Marcell Dockery, was arrested Monday on assault, reckless endangerment and arson charges following the Sunday fire on the 13th floor of an apartment building on Surf Avenue. He was awaiting arraignment Tuesday, and information on an attorney for him wasn't immediately available.



The blaze originated from a mattress in the building, firefighters say. Police say the teenager told detectives he tried to put out the fire and warn residents as the flames spread.

Officers Dennis Guerra, 38, and Rosa Rodriguez, 36, were responding to the fire shortly after noon when the elevator they were in got stuck and filled with smoke, police say.



The officers were found unconscious and were taken to area hospitals in critical condition. Both officers, who are members of the force's housing bureau, remained in critical condition early Tuesday and are being treated for smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning.

Five other people suffered minor injuries, including two firefighters, authorities said.

NYPD Deputy Chief Kim Y. Royster said while there is no uniform protocol for officers responding to fires, "The NYPD's primary objective when responding to any emergency is to protect life and property. In situations involving a fire, officers will warn and assist occupants in the evacuation of the building and take other actions if necessary to preserve life."

The department is reviewing its response protocols to fires, Royster said.

"Today is another sobering reminder of the dangers that face all our first responders," Mayor de Blasio, who appeared at a press conference with Bratton, said Sunday.