A harrowing scene unfolded in Brooklyn in the wee hours of Sunday, when the arm of an NYPD officer was caught in the windshield of a car driven by a fleeing suspect, as the New York Post reports.
As a result of the situation, the officer inadvertently fired his handgun, though the shot went down toward the ground.
Terrifying encounter
According to footage obtained by the Post, the NYPD officer can be seen approaching the vehicle in question, which was located in Flatbush, near the corner of Snyder and Bedford Avenues.
The confrontation took place around 4:00 a.m. and came on the heels of a citizen's report of a fight in the vicinity.
A man who spoke to police on the scene told officers that an individual had pointed a weapon at him, and the suspect was ultimately spotted in a vehicle not far away.
As the officer approached the car – said to have been a black Hyundai sedan – with his weapon drawn, the suspect hit the gas, catching the officer's arm in the windshield and subsequently dragging him for a short distance before driving away.
Nightclub commotion
According to the Post, the altercation that prompted the police response to begin with took place at the Afrika House nightclub, a venue known to draw large crowds on weekends.
A neighbor who spoke to the outlet said that a tussle among unruly bar patrons who were “yelling and acting crazy” is what caused police to be called.
Once the fight was successfully broken up, two participants made tracks to the Hyundai and were “almost running people down,” according to the witness, and that is when the aforementioned officer became entangled with the vehicle itself and accidentally discharged his weapon.
Subsequent reporting indicated that the officer was taken to the hospital and was being treated for what was described as a minor shoulder injury.
Unfortunately, at the time of publication, no arrests had yet been made in relation to the incident.
Police continue to seek information from any witnesses who were on the scene, and hopefully the perpetrator will soon be brought to justice.
