NEW YORK – Two men are in police custody after a brief chase for an allegedly stolen car and a shootout in the Bronx with the pursuing officers, New York police said Sunday.
Police officers responding to a report of a car theft Saturday night came across a separate crime in progress when they saw a car driving recklessly minutes before midnight, the patrol chief said. NYPD John Chell in an evening briefing.
A check of the car’s license plates revealed to officers that the vehicle had been reported stolen, the boss added.
Officers followed the driver until Street 161 yes Avenue of the Summit in the Grand Concourse section of the Bronx, where they were able to restrain one of the car’s occupants without incident. The second man, Chell said, fled on foot.
Another short chase followed, this time on foot, as officers chased the man across the 161 pedestrian bridge.
“Right now, HQ members 3-0 engage this individual in a firefight. After this firefight, the individual runs into the swampy area right here next to Major Deegan and a second exchange of gunfire occurs. “Chell said.
There was about a 10-minute lull in the gunfire as NYPD aviation units lighted the swamp. It was during the second exchange that police said the suspect was injured.
“Immediately after being shot, our officers physically picked up this man and dragged him to the side of the road to provide life-saving assistance,” Chell said.
The police chief said the 39-year-old suspect is known to police but did not provide any further information about the man. He also said the firearms were recovered.
The injured man was rushed to Lincoln Hospital in critical condition.
The case is under investigation.
