A machete-wielding man shot by a former NYPD cop during a Staten Island road rage clash has been criminally charged, police said Thursday.
Sidney Rivera, 45, is facing attempted assault, menacing, criminal mischief and weapon and drug possession charges for the Wednesday morning clash on Vineland Ave. near Grantwood Ave. in Arden Heights, cops said.
Rivera and the 50-year-old ex-cop got into a minor crash on nearby Carlton Ave. around 9:30 a.m., cops said.
Rivera sped off from the scene and when the ex-cop and a 47-year-old man he was with drover after him Rivera jumped out of his vehicle with a machete in hand, cops said.
The ex-cop pulled a gun and shot Rivera once in the chest.
Medics rushed Rivera to Staten Island University North, where he was initially listed in critical condition but is expected to recover.
He remained in the hospital Thursday and his arraignment in Staten Island Criminal Court was pending.
No charges were immediately filed against the man who shot Rivera. The gunman is a former NYPD officer who left the department before he was able to retire, a police source said.
