May. 25, 2023 By Ben Brachfeld
An NYPD officer was caught on camera putting lives at risk by repeatedly swerving a squad car toward a scooter rider in a shocking video taken on the Van Wyck Expressway in Queens and posted online.
The video, posted on Reddit by user MelBloccs, shows an unidentified officer recklessly driving squad car 3887-17 southbound on the Van Wyck near Flushing Meadows Park, in close proximity to a scooter rider. In the 19-second clip, the officer—who was driving without sirens on—looks to be trying to box the scooter rider in.
When the scooter rider attempts to merge into another lane, the officer immediately follows, swerving across two lanes of traffic to stay in front of the scooter. Each time the scooter moves to another lane, the squad car follows, on several occasions lurching extremely close to the rider.
At one point, the cop veers within inches of the scooter, forcing the operator to make a sharp evasive maneuver, before getting off the highway at College Point Boulevard. The squad car does not follow the scooter once the rider turns into the exit.
The person who took the video can be heard simultaneously dialing 311 in an attempt to report the conduct.
“Look at this guy! Look at him,” the video taker says before letting out a gasp. “Oh my God, he’s trying to hit him!”
It’s not clear what transpired between the officer and scooter rider before the video starts.
An NYPD spokesperson did not identify the officer involved when asked by amNewYork Metro, simply saying “we are aware of the video and it is under internal review.”
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