A police pursuit that started in Mount Vernon ended with a crash and what witnesses described as a wild shooting in the Bronx Tuesday morning, and authorities say at least one person was taken to the hospital.
Officials say Mount Vernon police tried to stop a black Chevy for a tinted window violation and the driver sped off, nearly striking the officers. Mount Vernon police chased the driver to the area of East 233rd Street in Wakefield.
The suspect allegedly tried to escape again, then changed direction and purposely rammed a Mount Vernon police vehicle, according to a statement from Mount Vernon Mayor Richard Thomas' office. Mount Vernon cops opened fire, blowing out the back windows of the suspect's black Chevy.
The Chevy ended up going over a sidewalk and hitting several cars before crashing into a gas pump. It wasn't clear if the suspect ever returned fire.
"They were just chasing at him, shooting at him, trying to blow out his tires, trying to stop the guy, but he was not stopping," said Gerson Diaz, who was pumping gas into his pickup truck at the Gulf station on Bronx Boulevard when the Chevy came barreling toward him, with Mount Vernon police right behind it.
Witnesses said they heard up to 13 shots.
"Nothing but gunshots, lots of shots," Diaz recalled hearing.
A female passenger in the Chevy was shot in the shoulder. She was taken to a hospital in stable condition, where she was found with drugs in her possession, according to law enforcement sources. The male driver was taken into custody; charges are pending. A Mount Vernon officer sustained minor injuries in the fracas.
Diaz said police struggled with the driver before dragging him out of the car.
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"This guy was giving them such a hard time, they had to keep him down," he said. "Restraining him was a problem."
It wasn't known how many police rounds were fired. No NYPD officers fired any shots, a spokesman for the department said.
Videos posted to social media showed a heavy law enforcement presence at the scene, cops walking around the streets with bulletproof vests, wiping their brows as rain fell. A black Chevy with a Massachusetts license plate was seen with its back windows completely shot out.
Residents said it sounded like a war outside.
"I thought that's crazy, running for my life, don't want to get killed," said witness Martell Carty, who was among the frightened patrons at the gas station running for cover.
"This doesn't happen over here," said Joanne Roeber, who lives in the neighborhood. "It's really quiet. Over 10 years I've been here."
The NYPD said it was assisting in the investigation.
