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NEW YORK — Video shows an NYPD officer fired three rounds at a BMW believed to be connected to several high-end robberies as it sped down a Manhattan sidewalk, nearly hitting pedestrians as the driver attempted to evade arrest.
Footage released by NYPD shows several unmarked police vehicles pull up next to a black BMW parked on West 28th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues around 1:20 a.m. on Oct. 11 outside of the ritzy Pergola eatery and hookah bar. The car matched the description of a suspect vehicle used in several high-end robberies involving jewelry stores and restaurants, New York Post reported.
Officers discovered the vehicle was “cold-plated,” meaning the license plate attached to the vehicle actually belonged to another automobile, a common practice used by career criminals.
According to video, uniformed officers tried to close all avenues of escape for the BMW by boxing it in. However, the thieves are desperate to get away, so the driver hops the curb, accelerates, and recklessly takes off down the sidewalk.
The suspect vehicle sends pedestrians standing outside the restaurant fleeing for safety, narrowly escaping injury as they get inside the front door just in time, the Post reported.
At that moment Officer Corey Titus opens fire on the vehicle, which is being used as a deadly weapon. He discharged three rounds at the BMW, striking the front windshield.
No one was wounded during the dramatic encounter, police said.
The Beemer made it about a block before it crashed into a pole. Afterward, three suspects bailed from the vehicle on foot, according to police sources.
Two of the suspects eluded capture, but police corralled Wilson Mendez, 19, of the Bronx. He was caught after a short chase and taken to a hospital for treatment of cuts to his face.
It’s not clear whether Mendez was the driver or one of the passengers. He was charged with criminal possession of a weapon after police recovered a 9mm handgun in the car that contained blood transfer, the Post reported. He will presumably face additional charges as the investigation continues.
Police recovered a 9mm handgun inside the suspect vehicle. (NYPD)
The suspects are believed to be a part of a violent high-end robbery ring. They call themselves “OED,” which stands for “Own Every Dollar.” The group of vicious thieves are affiliated with the notorious Trinitarios gang in the Bronx, according to the Post. They are suspected in at least one homicide, sources said.
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Source: www.lawofficer.com