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Wild Video Shows Officer Dragged, Run Over By Car After Driver Attempts To Flee

[Screenshot/Twitter/NYPD News]

Nicole Silverio Media Reporter
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Footage released Tuesday shows a driver with an expired New Jersey license plate dragging and running over a New York Police Department (NYPD) officer in the Bronx last Wednesday.

NYPD officers first attempted to pull the black SUV over at around 6 p.m. near East 195th Street and Briggs Avenue for the expired plate, according to NBC New York. Authorities later located the vehicle at Jerome Avenue and West 190th Street, where they tried to stop the vehicle for a second time at 190th Street and Davidson Ave.

Police said the vehicle went into reverse and tried to escape authorities a third time, prompting two unidentified officers to approach both sides of the vehicle, the outlet reported. Footage then showed the driver, 24-year-old Usman Haruna, speeding away in an attempt to flee while the officer was partially inside the driver’s side of the vehicle.

Authorities said the vehicle dragged the officer a few feet ahead and ran her over, causing a fractured ankle, according to NBC New York. She managed to stand up and return to the street where she appeared to open the driver’s door, footage showed.

An unseen officer located on the passenger side of the vehicle managed to stop the driver from fleeing the scene, the outlet reported. The footage showed the car attempting to drive in reverse to escape, but it was quickly prevented from doing so.

Both officers were transported to the hospital to be treated for their injuries and have since been released, NBC New York reported. Authorities said the officer seen in the footage is recovering from her ankle injury and the unseen officer was treated for contusions of the knee caused by the incident. (RELATED: Man Hit By Car Gets Run Over And Dragged By Second Car In Fatal Hit-And-Run, Video Shows) 

Authorities said Haruna has been arrested and is currently in custody. He faces several criminal charges, including assault on a police officer, reckless endangerment, according to the outlet.

In November 2021, New York City has faced a staggering surge in crime rates in the past year, most notably with a 40% increase in grand larceny, an 11.2% rise in felony assault, and a 24.1% jump in robbery in comparison to the same month last year, according to NYPD crime statistics.  In total, the city faced a total 21% increase in crime in comparison to the same time in the previous year.

Nicole Silverio

Follow Nicole Silverio on Twitter @NicoleMSilverio