NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell provided updates on a multi-location incident where a suspect hit eight people while driving a U-Haul truck through the Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, on Feb. 13.
“Now, reportedly, we have beaten eight people. Two are in critical condition, two are in serious condition and four suffered minor injuries. Seven of those people are civilians, one of them is a police officer who took policing action during this incident,” Sewell said.
Sewell said there was “no indication of any involvement in terrorism” but that police would continue to investigate.
Police refused to release any personal information about the suspect at the time of the press conference, which was held near the location where the suspect was apprehended at the intersection of Columbia Street and Hamilton Avenue.
The U-Haul truck involved in the incident can be seen behind police in this video. Credit: NYPD through Story
Video Transcription
KEECHANT SEWELL: Good evening everyone. Thank you for your presence. We’re here on Columbia Street and Hamilton Avenue in Brooklyn, where behind us is a U-Haul truck stop successfully made by the NYPD ending a violent rampage through Brooklyn that left at least eight people injured. Those victims are now in hospitals in the area.
Our best wishes are joined by those of the entire city for their speedy recovery. The early details are as follows.
At approximately 10:50 a.m. this morning, officers responded to a single man driving a U-Haul truck in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn. The vehicle hit a number of people and was eventually stopped here at the entrance of the Battery Tunnel to Manhattan by our Highway Patrol units. We are still building the events. This information is preliminary and subject to change as we learn more.
At this point, we are reported to have affected eight people. Two are in critical condition, two are in serious condition and four suffered minor injuries. Seven of those people are civilians. One of them is a police officer who acted as a police officer during this incident. We have seven different locations to process, including the one behind us.
At this time, we have no indications of any involvement of terrorism in this incident. However, as always, we will continue to investigate this incident with all the resources of the NYPD and our partners. What we saw today is a clear example of why the NYPD must be prepared for any possibility at any time of the day.
I want to thank our NYPD officers, our law enforcement partners, for their action this morning. If anyone has information that could help with this investigation, we encourage you to contact us at 1-800-577-TIPS. You can do this anonymously. Again, this information is preliminary. I’ll answer some questions.
– Guys, don’t back down.
– Commissioner Sewell, good morning.
KEECHANT SEWELL: Good morning.
– What was the reason for the first stop? Why was the vehicle initially suspected and pulled over? And what can you tell us about the vehicle?
KEECHANT SEWELL: The vehicle that was stopped came to a stop after hitting several people. It came to rest here behind us.
– So he hit people before?
– That’s right.
– OK.
– [INAUDIBLE] Harry.
– Good afternoon. It appears there are some videos circulating that seem to show an NYPD car being followed onto the curb [INAUDIBLE]. Can you talk to us about… tactically why that might be [INAUDIBLE]?
KEECHANT SEWELL: That is also the subject of our research. That will all be part of our investigation.
– Go forward here.
– Yes. Can you tell us about the other locations and what do we know about the suspect?
KEECHANT SEWELL: We currently know very little about this subject. That is part of our investigation. There are about seven scenes we have to process right now. They’re all in Bay Ridge on their way here.
– Can you give us a name and age?
KEECHANT SEWELL: Of the subject? We are not releasing that at this time.
– Adam Harding.
– As far as the suspect is concerned, can you have ties to New York? He may only have been in the area a few years, we understand. And since it’s also the beginning of sentencing for a similar case on the West Side, is there any correlation, link there in data, similar types of crimes?
KEECHANT SEWELL: As it stands, this is very early in the investigation. That’s going to be part of what we’re looking at this time, whether this person has a connection to New York or out of state is part of that as well.
– We’ll get one or two more. [INAUDIBLE]
– Thank you, Commissioner.
KEECHANT SEWELL: Hello.
– When you say seven scenes, does that mean people were hit in those seven different locations? Is there anything to indicate it was intentional?
KEECHANT SEWELL: We don’t know that at the moment. There are seven scenes, eight people were beaten, and that will be determined when we go over the crime scene with our crime scene unit.
– Last question. Rocco.
– Commissioner, a few elected officials have already tweeted that the suspect has said something to the effect that he wanted to die. Can you talk about what he may have said? [INAUDIBLE]?
KEECHANT SEWELL: Again, it’s very early for us to say that, Rocco. That will be released when we have that information.
– Was the first call about a U-Haul truck driving recklessly or hitting pedestrians? Or were all pedestrians hit after the police engaged the vehicle?
– The preliminary information is that the U-Haul hit humans first and then we got to work.
– Last question. Joe Moreno.
– Do we know the status of the U-Haul? Stolen? Where was it rented?
– It is now part of our investigation. Thank you all for your time. I appreciate you coming out. Thank you.