A New York police officer fired their gun at a suspected carjacker who allegedly ran over their partner Sunday night, police said.
The incident comes as crime remains a major worry for millions of Americans ahead of the midterm elections. In New York City, property crimes including robberies and grand larceny are on the uptick, fueling concerns about crime.
At about 10:19 p.m. Sunday, two police officers on patrol in the Bronx's Soundview neighborhood noticed a stolen blue Mercedes Benz. When the officers approached the vehicle, the vehicle struck a female officer—who has not been publicly identified—in the leg, a New York Police Department spokesperson said in a statement to Newsweek on Monday.
The officer's partner then fired three times at the car, causing it to crash. Three people inside the vehicle then fled from the scene, the statement said. The police officer was taken to Jacobi Hospital and was in stable condition. Police did not provide any information on if the suspects had been caught or arrested.
Surveillance video first reported by the New York Daily News captured the incident.
The video shows the two officers exit the vehicle and approach the Mercedes. But, the driver then allegedly hit the gas and drove into the officer. She managed to get back onto her feet with the help of her partner.
Ceferino Ramirez told the Daily News the officer said, "I hurt my leg" after the incident.
Noel Rodriguez, a resident who leaves nearby the crime scene, told local news station WABC-TV that "it's getting really, really rough lately."
"I guess I don't know after COVID, but it's crazy everywhere, everywhere it's crazy!" Rodriguez said.
Another neighbor Angie Cruz told the news station: "If police come here more often I think the neighborhood would change but it's a lot of stuff going on in this area. Maybe the pandemic, we broke so people trying to get money or go crazy because of their situation."
Nearly every type of crime has seen an increase in New York this year. Robberies are up 35.5 percent, assault is up 15.1 percent and grand larceny is up 41.5 percent, according to New York Police Department data. One bright spot, however, is that murders are down by 14.4 percent in New York City.
New York is not the only area to see a rise in crime; communities across the country have seen crime rise amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Experts have pointed to economic woes or new mental health struggles caused by the pandemic as major factors leading to an uptick in crime.
Republicans have sought to blame increases in crime on criminal justice policies—such as ending cash bail—enacted by Democrats, but crime has risen in conservative areas, as well, according to a 2021 New York Times analysis.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
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