A car chase that became a foot chase ended with an arrest five stories above the ground in Queens.
On Sunday, police said that officers from the community response team in the Queens North precinct spotted a car on 99th Street in the Corona neighborhood that was identified as stolen. They attempted to stop the driver, but the man behind the wheel of the white car quickly backed up, nearly striking a pedestrian on the sidewalk.
The driver crashed into the building behind him before driving the wrong way down a one-way street — hitting an officer who was jumping out of the way, police said.
The driver chaotic rampage didn't end there, as he then struck seven cars, five of which were police vehicles. Then the attempted getaway continued on foot.
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"There was too much traffic so he decided to go up the 7 line in Jackson Heights, jump from the train to a building," said NYPD Chief Kaz Daughtry.
NYPD video showed the view from the roof of that building, where the suspect was ultimately taken into custody.
"He thought he was faster than a speeding car but he wasn’t, and the way they put description over the radio so we could all work together as one to get him into custody...Another reason why we got to get these dangerous criminals off our street. A small group responsible for the recidivism in this city," said Daughtry.
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Police said it was a team effort between the community response team, the department's aviation unit and the Emergency Service Unit. The officer who was hurt was being treated at the hospital for injuries that were not considered to be life-threatening.
The suspect was later identified as 19-year-old Keyah Richardson, who was arraigned Tuesday on charges including first-degree attempted murder, assault, reckless endangerment and more. Richardson, of Brooklyn, faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted.
