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NYPD Makes Rooftop Arrest Following East New York Armed Robbery

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A daring arrest was caught on camera in Brooklyn this week, as three armed robbers were taken into custody on a roof.

As CBS2's Ali Bauman reported, the entire takedown was recorded from the sky.

The overhead footage looks like a video game. But it shows a real-life event taken from the cameras of an NYPD helicopter – capturing the heroic rooftop arrest of the three armed robbers.

"We heard the door slam, and we was in the back, and looked at the people that we see have the masks on," a resident said.

It started on ground level in the hallway of the apartment building at 440 Montauk Ave. in East New York, Brooklyn. Residents said around 11:30 p.m. Thursday, they saw three masked thieves holding down a man who was visiting his girlfriend, so they called police.

The resident who spoke to CBS2 said the victim was "praying."

Once the three men heard police sirens, they tried climbing up a rickety ladder onto the roof of the two-story building. But police were right on their table.

"I was sleeping and I heard people running on the roof," said resident Rawle Cobenna.

Just moments later, the officers were on the roof with the suspects. With nowhere left to run, the suspects had to put their hands up and get down on the ground, allowing officers to search.

They found $200 and a .40-caliber handgun.

"I'm getting scared about this neighborhood, because I'm here two years plus and I've never experienced anything like this before," Cobenna said.

The vertical chase may have been a shock to tenants, but they said it is comforting to know police did not let the suspects get away.

Suspects Carlton Murray, Gary Shaw and Gary Jenkins were arrested on charges of robbery and possession of a weapon.

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