Details have emerged regarding an incident in which a car hit police officers while fleeing a traffic stop on a busy parkway in New York City.
The two officers stopped a black BMW near 96th Street and Second Avenue on Feb. 28, Chief of Department Terence A. Monahan said during a press conference on March 1.
The officers exited their police car, spoke to the driver, and smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle a little before 9 p.m, said police.
The car then suddenly sped away, striking both of the police officers, who were on either side of the car.
The two officers then pursued the BMW on FDR Drive, Monahan said. As the car attempted to evade officers, it headed into a parkway exit that was blocked off.
As the police officers exited their car once again, the other vehicle then reversed and rammed into their police vehicle before fleeing again.
Meanwhile, one of the officers fired six shots at the car. Monahan said the officer may have violated policy by shooting at a fleeing vehicle, according to body cam video he reviewed, and was placed on modified duty.
UPDATE: @NYPDChiefofDept provides preliminary details on last night’s police involved firearms discharge. This investigation is still ongoing. pic.twitter.com/JHSWxHOcZF
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 1, 2019
The car was found abandoned further down the parkway, its back window shot out. Two of the four people police believe were in the car were found and arrested, according to Monahan.
The arrested suspects include Veronica Jagdoe, 23, who was the driver, and Jason Mohammed, 26, who was a passenger in the vehicle. Mohammed was found at a hospital and arrested because of his parole status. At the time, he was getting treated for an injury which could stem from a bullet wound or shrapnel from the vehicle.
Police believe the two are in a relationship, according to CBS New York. Police are still looking for more suspects.
NYPD News tweeted an advisory statement on Feb. 28:
ADVISORY: Due to an ongoing police investigation, the FDR Highway south of 23rd Street in Manhattan is TEMPORARILY closed. Please avoid the area. Expect heavy traffic and residual delays in the area. Updates to follow. pic.twitter.com/Ecvn1vLVOu
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 1, 2019
“Due to an ongoing police investigation, the FDR Highway south of 23rd Street in Manhattan is TEMPORARILY closed. Please avoid the area. Expect heavy traffic and residual delays in the area. Updates to follow.”
It is unknown if the suspects were hit when police opened fire. A police officer was brought to the hospital with minor injuries.
The NYPD’s Emergency Service Unit searched the area, including FDR Drive and a nearby housing complex, with rifles, shields, and specialized body armor, CBS video showed.
UPDATE: Due to an earlier police involved shooting resulting in minor injuries to an officer, areas of the FDR Highway remain temporarily closed. There will be a media briefing tomorrow morning with more details.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) March 1, 2019
Last year, a police officer was hit by a fleeing driver in New York City’s Times Square. Video of the encounter went viral, as the police were shown running after the car on a busy weekend with guns drawn. The car managed to get away by squeezing through the busy street and hitting several other cars. A skateboarder witnessed and recorded the encounter.
The officer can be seen with his partner running down the street after the car, yelling “get that car!” after getting hit and thrown off the car’s hood.
“He stood in harm’s way and attempted to stop that vehicle,” said Manhattan Chief of Detectives William Aubry, via the New York Post. “These are men that drive these cars, and, as you’ve seen on the video, they don’t stop for police officers.”
Days later two men, 20 and 24, were arrested. A third person that was in the back seat of the vehicle wasn’t found, but police consider him a witness and not an accomplice, according to a report from the New York Post.
Officer Ian Wallace sustained minor injuries to “his right leg and hip, chest, arms and back,” and was taken to the hospital, the New York Post reported.
