NYPD cop opens fire on Queens car thieves in midst of high-end BMWs heist
A Queens cop opened fire on a car thief barreling towards him as officers thwarted a luxury vehicles heist reminiscent of a 'Fast & Furious' movie, police said Friday.
At least two people were in custody as cops sped off after five stolen luxury cars — mostly BMWs — the bandits had taken from an auto-detailing shop in Flushing, Queens, at about 5:30 a.m.
Four out of the five stolen cars were recovered as police pursued the stolen vehicles across the borough and into the Bronx, a police source with knowledge of the case said.
Cops raced to the shop on 33rd Ave. near Miller St. after receiving a 911 call of a burglary in progress. The burglars, cops were told, were armed.
By the time cops arrived, the thieves had already boosted the cars and were making their escape.
One of the thieves charged a responding officer, cops said. In response, the cop drew his weapon and fired off one shot at the approaching car, hitting no one.
The stolen cars zipped off toward the nearby Whitestone Expressway as they made their escape, but they were quickly tracked down by cops.
Charges against the two suspects in custody were pending Friday.
The officer who fired off his weapon was taken to an area hospital for tinnitus, officials said.
Cops are prohibited from opening fire on a fleeing vehicle except when the driver is about to strike an officer or someone else, or is about to plow into a crowd, officials said.
In January, the NYPD clamped down on unnecessary dangerous police pursuits from routine car stops, ordering its officers to rely on 'advanced tools of modern-day policing' to track down and apprehend the suspects instead.
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