On September 16, video was taken of a moped involved in a police chase in Queens, crashing into an NYPD vehicle before bursting into flames. The incident happened when the moped had already been involved in the chase.
According to a New York Post report, the event took place around 12:30 p.m., after the moped was linked to an alleged shooting incident that occurred in the vicinity. Public Safety cops broadcast a broadcast, which ordered other officers to obstruct traffic in an attempt to apprehend the moped driver.
Footage shows a moped crashing into an NYPD SUV blocking traffic. The SUV was obstructing the road. The motorcycle driver was dragged to safety by response officers after the vehicle he was in exploded.
According to Bronx News, the 34-year-old driver is currently being treated at a Jamaica Avenue hospital for minor head injuries. The driver’s condition is declared stable at this time. Due to the brazen nature of the event, concerns were raised about the rising crime rate in the city.
Moped crashed into NYPD SUV following police chase
NYPD and Queens have recently seen an increase in shootings
After the collision, according to a police department representative, authorities investigated the area for firearms and evidence of previous shootings. The representative went on to explain that the suspect, who had participated in the collision, was found in possession of a firearm at the conclusion of the investigation. However, it has not been established whether or not he was involved in a shooting incident at the time. The investigation into the case is still ongoing at this time.
However, state records indicate that Queens is no stranger to cases of this nature, and this year the area has seen an increase in shootings and other violent crimes. Additionally, there was a 13.4% increase in the total number of gunshot incidents in New York City.
According to Kenneth Corey, Department Chief of the New York Police Department, while there was a 54% drop in the number of homicides in the city in August 2022, the overall crime rate in the city increased by 26%.
Corey also mentioned that the city is considerably less dangerous than it was in May 2022, when the department began implementing its summer violence reduction plan. He went on to say that despite New York’s homicide count plummeting in August, virtually every other significant crime count rose.
NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell suggested in an official statement that the rise in violence in the city may be linked to illicit weapons emboldening criminals. Sewell made this claim in reference to the city.
Keechant went on to say that offenders “must face serious repercussions” if they are willing to carry illegal weapons and shoot innocent people.
He pointed out that the only way to reduce the number of crimes in the city was to take a tougher stance against those who committed the crimes and maintain a police presence. He also said that whenever a crime “erodes public confidence in the criminal justice system,” lawmakers must refocus their attention on the victims, because they are the ones who matter most.
According to CNN reporting, New York City has seen a gradual resurgence in crime after a historic low in 2019, when the city saw the lowest murder rate in more than half a century.
