An NYPD officer was knocked down and nearly run over by a reckless driver in Times Square over the weekend. Watch the cell phone footage of the shocking incident above.
According to the New York Post, the event unfolded when a black Mercedes-Benz C63 was doing donuts and speeding down Seventh Avenue at around 11:45 p.m. on Saturday night.
The video shows an NYPD officer, later identified as 26-year-old Ian Wallace, stepping in front of the car—the tires of which were smoking—right near the famous U.S. military recruiting station with his left hand out to indicate that he wanted the driver to stop, and his right hand on his holstered pistol.
Suddenly, the driver swerves to the right and tries to take off, but Wallace bravely puts his hands on the car’s hood and stays in front while the car begins to move and push him forward. Suddenly the vehicle then swerves left and accelerates, dragging Wallace a few steps and knocking him to the ground, side-swiping him in the process.
Wallace quickly gets up, draws his gun and starts running after the fleeing vehicle alongside another NYPD officer.
“Get that car!” Wallace shouts in the video.
The vehicle——which NBC News points out appears to have been souped up for drag racing—then turned right down West 42nd street and made its getaway, but not before hitting other cars along the way.
Wallace was transported to Mt. Sinai St. Luke’s hospital with minor injuries to his back, arms, right leg and right hip, the Post reported.
“He should get a pay raise,” food truck operator Ray Cortes told CBS New York.
Freddie Kim, who operates a souvenir stand in Times Square, told NBC News drivers will often drive reckless around Times Square as a way to get attention.
“It happens often here. Those guys try to show off,” he said.
Police are still working to track down the vehicle.
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