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NYPD officer suffers leg injury after being struck by stolen car in the Bronx

Video shows car mow down officer in the Bronx 01:47

NEW YORK -- An NYPD officer is recovering this morning after being hit by a stolen car Sunday night in the Bronx. 

Police are now searching for the suspects, who crashed the car and then ran off. 

See live update below for the latest. 

 

Exclusive video captures close call

Video shows car mow down officer in the Bronx 01:47

CBS2's John Dias has video of the crash you'll only see here.

The video shows the officer and her partner drive their marked vehicle with flashing lights up to the stolen car at the intersection of Westchester and Elder avenues around 10:30 p.m. Sunday in Soundview. 

When they get out and try to engage the suspects, the person behind the wheel floors it, running one of the officers over. Her partner fires off his gun at the car, but police say he missed. 

"I heard three gunshots, and all of a sudden, all hell was breaking loose around here," Soundview resident Noel Rodriguez told Dias. 

Rodriguez heard the incident from his bedroom.

"The wife jumped up out of bed," he said. 

Police said the driver of the stolen car didn't get far, crashing the vehicle into a parked car a half a block away. The four people in the car then quickly jumped out and ran away.

"They don't care, I don't think they care about the future, these young people. They go all out and they don't care," Soundview resident David Roberson said. 

"Life is a gift, each day that we wake up is a gift. So we should be thankful for that and not prey on others or hurt others," said Soundview resident Latonya McCord. 

Police said the officer injured her leg. But neighbors said even a small injury like this should never happen, and police deserve more respect. 

"A lot of them, I believe, this is their passion, their passion is basically to protect the community," Antonia Pearson said. "You're taking a risk. You don't know what's going to happen, you don't know if you're going to come back."

Police said the injured officer has been treated and released from the hospital. 

By John Dias
 

How it unfolded

NYPD officer struck by stolen car in the Bronx 01:43

The NYPD says the officer who was run over is expected to be OK. She's in the hospital recovering with a leg injury. 

Meanwhile, detectives are still working the scene, trying to find more clues and surveillance video to enhance their investigation. 

Police said this all started with a carjacking just before 10:30 p.m. Sunday. It's unclear if the suspects were armed.

When the car reached the corner of Westchester and Elder avenues, the officer and her partner tried to stop it. The officers approached the car, then it drove away, crashing into one of them. 

Her partner pulled out his gun and shot at the car, but no one was hit. 

The driver of the stolen car didn't get far before crashing it into a parked car down the block. 

Police said four suspects ran away. 

Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.    

By John Dias
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