Teen Struck By Taxi In Midtown, Triggering Melee Between Police And Students, 4 Arrested
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A teen was struck by a taxi in Midtown Thursday afternoon.
The student -- who police say is 14-15 years-old -- was hit around 2:15 p.m. at 52nd Street and Eighth Avenue.
Although the victim was not seriously injured, the incident then led to a large fight between a group of teens, a taxi driver, and the responding NYPD officers.
Four high school students were arrested and five first responders suffered minor injuries in the melee. Two civilians were also reportedly hurt.
Witnesses told CBS2's Lisa Rozner most of those involved are students at a nearby Manhattan High School.
The fight was so loud, people at a nearby diner could hear punches being thrown through the windows.
A witness told Rozner the teen was hit after running into moving traffic.
According to the witness, the teen wasn't seriously injured, but when police came to his aid, the victim's friends became confrontational, which led to a raucous situation.
A cab driver says in the midst of the fracas a group of teens jumped on the hood of his car while he was waiting at a light.
"What am I going to do, I was helpless. I call police. I pull to the side and I call police," a taxi driver said.
"My experience, officers were there to defuse the situation. And the rowdiness of the crowd got to the point where fights broke out," a witness said.
Police charged all four students with assault, resisting arrest, and obstruction after the group refused lawful orders to disperse and fought with the officers on the scene.
