A video captured the chaotic scene in the Bronx as a car thief, identified as Edwings Irizarry, used a stolen van as a battering ram to escape from the police. The incident occurred on Bainbridge Avenue in Fordham Manor on Aug. 17, when Irizarry allegedly shoved aside the van’s owner and fled the scene in the stolen vehicle. The one-and-a-half-minute video shows Irizarry repeatedly backing up and ramming the van into parked cars while six cops attempted to stop him.
The video shows one officer hitting the thief’s arm with his fist and baton through the driver’s side window, as other officers surrounded the vehicle, shouting at Irizarry to get out of the car. Irizarry managed to create an opening between the wrecked cars and sped away, narrowly missing a pedestrian. Due to the blocked road caused by the smashed vehicles, only an unmarked NYPD car was able to chase after Irizarry, while other bystanders shouted and called for an ambulance.
Despite the danger posed by the car thief’s actions, retired NYPD Lt. John Macari explained that officers are heavily scrutinized and restricted from using deadly physical force in such situations to avoid causing unnecessary harm or accidents. Macari noted that the criminal justice reform legislation in New York has removed consequences, giving criminals the freedom to threaten the safety of the public and law enforcement officers. Irizarry was later arrested and charged with grand larceny auto, reckless endangerment, and fleeing an officer in a stolen vehicle.
In a separate incident, a 19-year-old driver in Queens hit a cop with a stolen sedan and then fled the scene, leading to a rooftop chase that ended with his arrest. Despite the escalating incidents involving violent and reckless criminals, the NYPD did not respond to inquiries about Irizarry’s prior arrests or the specific circumstances of the incident. The footage highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement officers in dealing with dangerous suspects while navigating legal restrictions and maintaining public safety. Efforts to balance the safety of the community with the constraints on police action continue to be a critical issue in law enforcement.
