MELVILLE, NY (MorichesDaily) — Suffolk County Police arrested a man after he led police on a pursuit into Nassau County and injured a police officer with his vehicle Friday morning.
Second Precinct Community Oriented Police Enforcement Officers (COPE) were on patrol Friday at the Park and Ride off exit 49 of the Long Island Expressway Friday morning when they noticed a vehicle that was wanted in connection with prior petit larcenies of gasoline from vehicles in that parking lot.
According to the press release, COPE Officer John McAleavey then approached the vehicle and asked the male driver for his license.
The driver then suddenly drove forward, hitting officer McAleavey with the side view mirror and the officer’s gun belt got caught on the mirror.
The man continued driving with the officer caught on the vehicle for approximately 200 yards before the officer was able to free himself, according to the report.
The driver then fled the scene in his vehicle, followed by another COPE officer, and was pursued into Nassau County where he was eventually apprehended after driving down East 2nd Street in Mineola, which is a dead end street.
The man, Robert Stein, 54, whose last known address is 1944 Prospect Ave., East Meadow, told police he is currently homeless.
Police charged Stein with Assault 2nd Degree of a Police Officer, Reckless Endangerment 1st Degree, Leaving the Scene of an Incident with Injury, two counts of Petit Larceny and three counts of Unlawfully Fleeing a Police Officer 3rd Degree.
Police did not release details as to the condition of the officer injured in the incident.
Stein will be held overnight at the Second Precinct and arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip on January 26.
I'm so happy to know that County Police arrested a man injured a police officer with his vehicle. I saw that accident and I think the police of country had done a great job.