NYPD shoots suspected kidnapper dead after van chase in New York
A man in his thirties was fatally shot after allegedly ramming a van into a police roadblock and several vehicles on Saturday night.
New York Police Department (NYPD) officers shot a suspected kidnapper dead on the Belt Parkway on Saturday night after a van chase. According to the Times of India, the incident occurred around 7.30 pm when the driver allegedly rammed his vehicle into a police roadblock and multiple civilian cars.
The chase began after police received reports of a possible abduction involving a young child heard screaming inside a white cargo van with New Jersey licence plates. Officers spotted the van near Exit 8 and attempted to stop it, but the driver continued eastbound.
Police tried to stop the suspect, described as a Black man in his thirties, by smashing the van's windows and using a Taser. When these methods failed, officers opened fire, fatally wounding the driver. No child was found inside the vehicle, the New York Post reported.
The suspect was transported to NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, where he was declared dead at approximately 8 pm. His identity has not been released.
The collision caused significant traffic disruptions, leading authorities to close both sides of the Belt Parkway for an investigation. Police have been questioning the drivers of the damaged vehicles involved in the incident.