Police: Hempstead man rams Porsche into Nassau cop car, detectives hurt

A Hempstead man faces multiple charges after intentionally reversing his vehicle into a Nassau police car in Oceanside Saturday night and injuring two detectives seeking to question him as part of a drug investigation, authorities said.

Nassau narcotics/vice squad detectives attempted to pull over Romaine Robinson, 25, at about 9 p.m. as he drove a 2011 Porsche near the intersection of Long Beach Road and Waukena Avenue, police said. Detectives approached the vehicle, but Romaine fled north on Long Beach Road.

Robinson was located near Mahland Place and Kenneth Place where police said he drove "at a high rate of speed in reverse towards the officers’ police vehicle intentionally causing a collision and injuries to the officers," according to a Nassau police news release.

Police said he did not comply with commands to exit the vehicle and was taken into custody after a "brief struggle."

The officers were taken to a hospital for treatment head, neck and facial injuries. One of the officers suffered a hand fracture, police said. Information on the officers' conditions was not immediately available.

Robinson was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, four counts of second-degree assault, second-degree criminal mischief, and reckless endangerment, tampering with physical evidence and resisting arrest.

He was held on bail of $50,000 bond or $25,000 cash at his arraignment Sunday at First District Court in Mineola, online records show.

A lawyer for Robinson could not immediately be reached for comment.

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.