Video shows moped bursting into flames after crashing into side of NYPD cruiser in Queens
NEW YORK -- Video shows the moment a suspect fleeing on a moped crashes into the side of a police cruiser in Queens, causing it to burst into flames.
Police say the suspect was the only one hurt, suffering minor injuries.
Police video reveals the dramatic moment officers pull into the intersection of Merrick Boulevard and Liberty Avenue in Jamaica, blocking the path of a fleeing suspect on a moped.
You then see the suspect T-bone the driver's side door of the NYPD cruiser. He's thrown off the moped and it explodes into flames.
Neighbors in the area were shocked when CBS2's Thalia Perez showed them the video but say it's no surprise because crime is out of control.
"I work in the area, but every time I'm leaving 7 o'clock because later in the night, it's very complicated, the situation in this area," Juan de Jesus said.
Police say the crash happened just before 12:30 a.m. Friday, and the driver of the moped was wanted in connection to shots fired just minutes away near 186th Street and Jamaica Avenue.
"ShotSpotter is pretty accurate. It pinpoints where the shots were fired from. It gives probably good probable cause for the police officers to determine who the perpetrator was. I mean, it shows. They showed up on the scene. ShotSpotter identified where the shots were being fired," said Professor Michael Alcazar, a retired NYPD detective who spent over 30 years with the department.
In this case, Alcazar says ShotSpotter proved to be an invaluable tool for police.
"Luckily no one else got hurt because he's driving recklessly with no regard for the police officers, for any civilians that possibly could have been crossing on the street or on the crosswalk. I think he's just trying to evade that sector," he said.
Police say 34-year old Love Olatunji-Ojo injured his wrist and suffered minor bruising and burns. He was taken into custody and faces multiple charges.
