A 65-year-old man was shot dead by police on a Brooklyn highway Thursday after he allegedly fled from a traffic stop, crashed into a police cruiser and pointed a gun at two uniformed officers, authorities said.
The wild scene unfolded when the suspect was first pulled over by an NYPD Highway Patrol officer for speeding in a gray Jeep Cherokee on the Belt Parkway near the Bay 8th Street exit at about 4 p.m., according to the NYPD.
The man pulled a weapon on the officer, prompting her to open fire. Paul Martinka
It wasn’t immediately clear if the man had fired the gun. Paul Martinka
The NYPD Highway Patrol officer was pursuing the man for reckless driving. Mark MelloneAs the female officer was approaching the car, the driver sped off, kicking off a chase eastbound on the highway, police said.
The officer managed to stop in front of the suspect’s car near the Verrazzano Bridge — but the suspect slammed into her vehicle and drove off again.
Another highway patrol cop joined the pursuit and the two officers finally pulled over the crazed driver near the Bay Parkway Avenue entrance.
The suspect was taken to Lutheran Medical Center.
The suspect then hopped out of his SUV and allegedly walked towards the officers with a gun, NYPD Chief of Department Rodney Harrison said at a Thursday night press briefing.
“The officers exited their vehicle and gave numerous verbal commands for the male to drop the gun,” Harrison said.
But the man continued towards them, prompting the officers to open fire, striking him multiple times, police said.
The suspect was taken to Lutheran Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
A 65-year-old man was shot by a cop in Brooklyn. Paul MartinkaThe highway shooting played out in front of standstill traffic with several horrified commuters capturing the chaos on video.
In dramatic footage recorded by one driver, the armed suspect can be seen in a stance in the road facing off with two officers who were seeking cover in front of the police car.
“Oh, he has a gun,” the witness can be heard saying, referring to the suspect.
As the witness rolls slowly by the standoff, more than a dozen shots can be heard ringing out in front of commuters stuck in rush-hour traffic.
The highway shooting played out in front of standstill traffic.
The scene of a police-involved shooting at the Belt Parkway and Cropsey Avenue on Nov. 11, 2021. Mark Mellone“They shot him, s–t!” the witness adds.
Another man who saw the shooting said: “Yo, bro, I’m f–king shaking.”
Police said the suspect’s firearm was recovered at the scene. It wasn’t immediately clear if the man had fired the gun.
The man had at least seven prior arrests, police said. Sources added that one was a robbery from 1984 and another was for assault in 1981.
