Police Search For Suspect Who Hurt Officer In Brooklyn ATV Hit-And-Run
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Authorities said an NYPD officer was in serious, but stable, condition Monday after he was struck by an all-terrain vehicle in Brooklyn.
Police continued to search for the offending driver Monday evening.
As CBS 2's Alice Gainer reported, the incident happened at 3:47 p.m. Sunday. Two officers were driving in an unmarked squad car along South Conduit Avenue near Pitkin Avenue, when they noticed a man driving the yellow four-wheel Yamaha ATV recklessly, police said.
The ATV driver was weaving in and out of traffic and driving on the sidewalk, police said.
As officers approached the ATV, the driver sped away from the scene at Pitkin and Autumn avenues. He struck of the officers in the process -- dragging the officer 190 feet and running over his leg before fleeing the scene, police said.
A gas station worker saw the aftermath.
"He had blood coming down," the worker told Gainer.
Police on Monday released a surveillance video of the ATV speeding away from the scene after the incident.
As of 6 p.m. Monday, the officer's condition was stable at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center as of Monday. He suffered extensive cuts to his leg, a broken vertebra, a broken nose, and bruises to his face.
"He's very lucky to be alive, being quite frank with you," said NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton.
Bratton visited the officer Sunday night, and said once caught, the NYPD hopes to charge the driver with attempted murder.
"It was an overt attempt to murder that officer by swerving into traffic and attempting to basically get the officer off that ATV," Bratton said.
Earlier, police after the incident, they arrested Christian Oliviere, 23, whom they found hiding in an auto body shop. But Oliviere was not connected to the ATV attack and wanted for an unrelated incident, and was arrested on reckless endangerment, reckless driving and fleeing from an officer in a motor vehicle.
As of Monday evening, the officer was reported to be alert and conscious, and in good spirits – although in a lot of pain.
The officer was in plainclothes when the incident occurred, but he and his partner put their lights and sirens on.
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