NYPD officer shoots at vehicle that nearly struck cops on Staten Island; driver flees over Goethals

An NYPD officer fired his gun after a luxury car nearly struck cops while fleeing from a vehicle stop on Staten Island near the Goethals Bridge on Thursday evening, police said.

The fleeing car crashed into six civilian vehicles during the incident, according to a spokesman for the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

The NYPD’s Force Investigation Division is investigating the incident and the officer who discharged the gun currently is on modified duty, according to a police statement. Such investigations routinely are done after an officer’s gun is fired.

The episode began when police were conducting a car stop of a black BMW sedan with no license plate around 7:55 p.m. in the 2600 block of Richmond Avenue in New Springville, the police spokesman said.

The driver of the BMW allegedly fled the car stop and drove to New Jersey bound on the Staten Island Expressway. Cops pulled over the fleeing vehicle and requested the assistance of additional officers who responded to block traffic on the westbound expressway near the exit for Western Avenue. Officers were trying to prevent the BMW from driving over the Goethals, the police spokesman said.

As officers stood in the roadway to block traffic, the driver of the BMW sedan allegedly drove in the direction of the officers. An officer discharged his firearm toward the vehicle, the police spokesman said.

The vehicle did not strike the officers, and then fled over the Goethals into New Jersey.

No injuries were reported in the incident, but an officer was taken to an area hospital for evaluation.

No arrests have been made by the NYPD, and the police spokesman did not know whether the BMW was located.

No shots were fired on the bridge, the police spokesman said.