On Tuesday night, police in Brooklyn shot and killed a man who was allegedly driving a stolen vehicle and nearly hitting an officer, according to the NYPD.
Investigators say the 28-year-old guy was driving a stolen Porsche at Bay Eighth Street and the Belt Parkway in East New York shortly after 8 p.m.
Officials said the incident happened when the NYPD Community Response Team was looking for stolen vehicles.
Officers said they ran the Porsche’s license plates after noticing unusual plates. The NYPD said they attempted to stop the car, but the driver escaped eastbound on the Belt Parkway.
Instead of pursuing the vehicle, authorities dispatched additional cops, who then set up barriers several exits away. When police attempted to catch the automobile, the driver drove off the road onto a service road in the direction of the policemen and roadblock.
According to the NYPD, an officer who was nearly hit by the car fired a single shot, which struck the driver.
Police say the officer who shot the guy is fine.
Officers claim the car then took another exit before colliding with a department vehicle. The driver was removed from the vehicle and transported to Brookdale Hospital, where he later died.
Following the incident, authorities arrested at least one passenger in the stolen vehicle. Charges have not been brought against that individual.
According to police, the 28-year-old driver was on federal probation for car theft and interstate transportation of stolen automobiles in Pennsylvania.
Residents expressed horror at the shooting to Eyewitness News.
“It’s insane, this is the first time something like this has happened here,” said resident Doris Isakov. “I’ve lived here for six years and never seen anything like this. It’s insane. I’ve never seen so many cops in one spot.”
According to Isakov, most people park in garages and are not concerned about their automobiles being stolen.
The Belt Parkway was stopped for the investigation, and officials warned of traffic delays in both directions near Pennsylvania Avenue.
