5 Nassau cops injured following stolen car arrests, officials say

Five Nassau police officers were injured Sunday when a reported stolen car carrying three teenagers from New Jersey rammed their vehicles while trying to avoid capture, county officials said Tuesday.

Some of the officers may have suffered career-ending injuries, according to Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, who was joined at a news conference by County Executive Bruce Blakeman at the Nassau Police Highway building in North Bellmore. All five officers are on medical leave due to their injuries, officials said.

Three teens from Newark – two 16-year-olds and a 17-year-old – were arrested Sunday morning.

“They are hired guns by the gangs in Newark, New Jersey, they are loading them up, they are driving out here, they are committing crimes, they are reckless, they are dangerous, they are damaging our vehicles, they are hurting our cops,” Ryder said. 

Four Nassau police vehicles were severely damaged during the incident, Ryder said, includng two that were totaled. The damage to the vehicles will cost taxpayers $250,000, officials said.

Officers also recovered a PX-9 9-mm pistol and 15 rounds of ammunition from a Mercedes GLS 450 that had been reported stolen on Saturday.

 "They are not little kids," Blakeman said of the suspects. "They are dangerous." 
Ryder said Nassau police received several reports of suspicious males attempting to get into vehicles in East Hills, Flower Hill, Manhasset, Greenvale and Plandome. Several crews from Newark, had traveled to Nassau County to steal vehicles, he said. 

A Nassau detective spotted the stolen Mercedes in Roslyn and attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver rammed his vehicle, causing severe damage. 

The suspects fled in the Mercedes, which had a flat tire after ramming the police car, and struck three other police vehicles before the suspects were taken into custody at Exit 33 of the Long Island Expressway. 

Ryder said “a good percentage” of cars stolen in Nassau County have been recovered in Newark.  “They are using them for drag racing, they are using them to commit other crimes,” he said.

One officer was treated at a hospital for a concussion and injuries to his left wrist, right hip, back and neck, officials said. A second officer was treated for neck and shoulder pain, while a third was treated for wrist damage. A detective was treated for a concussion while a second detective was treated for a cervical strain. 

The teens were charged with five counts of second-degree assault, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree grand larceny, fourth-degree attempted grand larceny, petit larceny, criminal mischief, unlawful fleeing from a police officer and numerous traffic violations.

The 17-year-old, who had a previous arrest for auto theft, and a 16-year-old were arraigned on Monday and released with conditions that include electronic monitoring, according to a spokeswoman for the Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly. 

The other 16-year-old, who had been previously charged in New Jersey with burglary and possession of stolen property, was held on a vehicle theft warrant from New Jersey, Ryder said. 

 "This incident serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by Nassau County law enforcement each and every time they report for duty," Nassau PBA president Tommy Shevlin said.  

Nassau police started a campaign called Operation Safe Neighborhoods earlier this month to urge motorists to take basic precautions to protect vehicles from theft. Ryder said 121 vehicles were stolen year-to-date in 2021 in the county, while 370 have been reported stolen year-to-date in 2022 – a 206% increase. The county had a 34% decline in vehicle theft in the two weeks that have passed since Operation Safe Neighborhoods started.

“Lock your cars,” Ryder urged motorists. “Take your fobs. My cops are getting hurt trying to recover your property.”