Police Open Fire After Pulling Over Suspected Car Thief On West Side Highway
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- There was a police-involved shooting on the West Side Highway during the early morning hours on Thursday.
The NYPD said it started when the suspect attempted to run over a sergeant with a stolen car when he stopped him, CBS2's John Dias reported.
Police said the suspect is in custody at the Midtown North Precinct, following an evaluation at a nearby hospital.
Charges have not yet been filed, but Dias learned this isn't the first time the man has run afoul of the law.
BREAKING: Police open fire overnight on the West Side Highway. Investigators say it all started when an officer pulled over a suspected car thief. 44yo suspect has been arrested, an officer is being treated in hospital for ringing in his ears. Latest on @CBSNewYork pic.twitter.com/1NsVJ7eJaX
— John Dias (@JohnBDias) May 6, 2021
It was a haphazard scene in the middle of the West Side Highway that ended with a crash and shots fired, but started when a woman reported her car was stolen.
Police said a 44-year-old Bronx man, who was out on parole, allegedly forcibly stole a grey Toyota Camry by West 31st Street and Broadway just after midnight.
An hour later, a sergeant and an officer spotted the car on the West Side Highway by 44th Street, after hearing a report transmitted over the radio.
When the uniformed officers pulled the driver over in their unmarked car, police say they went to confront him. The man then hit the gas, reversed into the cop car and, police said, tried to hit the sergeant, who then opened fire. He got off two rounds, but missed the suspect.
Police said the suspect was released from prison in August of 2020, and was out on parole for a drug sale. He was also arrested last month for stealing an electric scooter, but was released.
Dias was told both officers were treated at a hospital for ringing in their ears, but have already been released.