Police said several officers and an 18-year-old suspect were hospitalized after the Father’s Day encounter.
NEW YORK CITY, NY — An NYPD sergeant, three other officers and an 18-year-old suspect were hospitalized Sunday after police said a stolen SUV boxed in by officers lurched back and forth on a Bronx street and struck multiple officers.
The confrontation unfolded on Father’s Day in the Fordham section, where police said officers were tracking a silver Kia Sportage reported stolen in New Jersey one day earlier. The encounter ended with an officer firing at the driver, who was wounded and taken to St. Barnabas Hospital in stable condition. Police said the injured officers also were taken to hospitals and were stable.
Police said the chain of events began around 5:35 p.m. Sunday, when a license plate reader alerted officers that the stolen Kia was traveling through Washington Heights. A later alert placed the vehicle in the Bronx. Chief Aneudy Castillo, commanding officer of Patrol Borough Bronx North, said NYPD Community Response Team officers found the SUV on East Fordham Road and followed it without immediately stopping it. The vehicle later pulled over and let a passenger out before stopping again on East Fordham Road between Webster and Decatur avenues. Officers then moved in with six unmarked police vehicles and ordered the people inside to get out, Castillo said.
The driver did not comply, police said. Instead, officials said, he shifted the Kia into reverse, hit an unmarked police vehicle and struck several officers standing near the SUV. Police said the vehicle then moved forward and hit a sergeant, knocking him to the ground. “The individual behind the wheel drove recklessly back and forth,” Castillo said during a Sunday night briefing. One officer climbed onto an unmarked vehicle to avoid being hit, then fired at the driver as the SUV continued moving with officers around it, according to police. The driver was struck in the arm, officials said.
The wounded driver was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital in stable condition, police said. The sergeant and three other officers were taken to area hospitals with injuries that officials described as not life-threatening. The passenger who had been in the Kia was taken into custody. Police did not immediately release the names of the driver, the passenger or the injured officers. Officials also did not say Monday whether a weapon was recovered from the SUV during the stop. Investigators remained at the scene for hours as East Fordham Road was shut down near Marion, Webster and Decatur avenues.
Police said the Kia had New Jersey plates and had been reported stolen Saturday. The use of license plate readers placed the SUV first in Washington Heights and then in the Bronx, leading officers to the busy Fordham corridor. East Fordham Road is one of the Bronx’s main commercial streets, with stores, bus routes and heavy foot traffic near Fordham University, Webster Avenue and the surrounding transit stops. The police response drew a large crowd and caused delays in the area Sunday evening as investigators marked the scene, reviewed the movement of the vehicles and checked for video from nearby buildings and businesses.
The 18-year-old driver was arrested and was expected to face new charges, police said. Officials said he had been arrested earlier in 2026 in connection with an alleged shooting in the same precinct. Castillo said the new case includes expected felony counts tied to assault, reckless endangerment and the stolen vehicle encounter. The exact charge list and arraignment timing were not immediately available Monday. The officer’s use of force is under review, as is standard after an NYPD shooting. Detectives also are reviewing the stolen vehicle report from New Jersey and the path the Kia took before officers stopped it in the Bronx.
Residents and shoppers in Fordham watched as police vehicles, ambulances and crime scene tape filled the corridor Sunday night. Some people were kept away from businesses and apartment entrances while officers worked around the stopped Kia and nearby unmarked vehicles. Police said the scene was still active late Sunday and asked people to avoid East Fordham Road between Marion and Decatur avenues. The request came as officers photographed vehicle damage and gathered witness accounts. Officials said the most serious moment came when the sergeant was hit and thrown down, but they said all injured officers were expected to survive.
The investigation remained open Monday morning. Police said the next steps include finalizing charges against the driver, reviewing video and body-worn camera footage, and documenting the injuries to the officers and suspect.
Author note: Last updated June 22, 2026.