Two Brooklyn teens were arrested late Thursday after a violent carjacking spree that ended with one suspect driving at a police officer on a sidewalk, prompting the cop to open fire, authorities said.
The pair, both 16, launched their rampage around 7:40 p.m. In the Homecrest neighborhood, according to the NYPD. They first cornered a 24-year-old man on East 16th Street near Avenue P, flashed a gun and attempted to rob him. The victim escaped unharmed, leaving the teens empty-handed.
Undeterred, the suspects fled to East 15th Street and Avenue O, where they confronted a 23-year-old man at gunpoint, pulled him from his Toyota Camry and sped off in the stolen vehicle. The joyride was short-lived — they crashed the Camry shortly after, police said.
One teen was taken into custody at the crash scene. The other broke free and ran, eventually spotting a 54-year-old woman standing outside her Toyota RAV-4 on Kimball Street near Avenue T. He commandeered her SUV and drove toward East 100th Street and Avenue K.
Officers caught up to the fleeing carjacker around 8:40 p.m. And attempted to box him in by blocking the street. Instead of surrendering, he drove up onto the sidewalk directly at an officer, police said. The officer responded by firing a single shot at the RAV-4. The teen was not struck and continued driving until he crashed at Pennsylvania and Wortman avenues, where police finally arrested him.
The NYPD’s Force Investigation Division has opened a probe into the officer’s decision to discharge his weapon.
The two suspects face different charges reflecting their roles in the spree. One was charged with criminal possession of stolen property and obstruction of governmental administration, while the other was hit with two counts of robbery, according to police. Authorities have not specified which of the two teens attempted to run down the officer.
The Thursday evening violence unfolded across multiple Brooklyn neighborhoods over the course of roughly an hour, leaving three victims shaken but physically unharmed. The 24-year-old man targeted in the initial robbery attempt, the 23-year-old Camry driver and the 54-year-old RAV-4 owner all declined medical attention at the scenes, police said.
The spree highlighted a persistent pattern of vehicle thefts involving young suspects across New York City, though the escalation to an alleged attempt to strike an officer with a stolen car marks a particularly brazen turn. The gun displayed during both carjackings was recovered, according to authorities.
The Force Investigation Division, which examines all police shootings and firearm discharges, will review body camera footage and witness statements to determine whether the officer’s shot was justified under department guidelines. The teen who evaded the bullet was evaluated at a hospital as a precaution before being transferred to central booking.
Both suspects were being held pending arraignment in Brooklyn criminal court.