Singas: Roosevelt man indicted for shooting at Hempstead cops

Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas, above in 2018, said Monday that a Roosevelt man faces multiple attempted murder counts for shooting at Hempstead police. Credit: Charles Eckert
A Roosevelt man faces multiple counts of attempted murder for shooting at Hempstead cops in December after refusing to cooperate during a traffic stop, Nassau County prosecutors said Monday.
Christopher Anderson, 25, was arraigned Friday in a grand jury indictment on four counts of first-degree attempted murder, two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and leaving the scene of an incident without reporting it, according to a statement from Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas.
Anderson was held without bail at the Nassau County Correctional Center in East Meadow, and is scheduled to appear in court Thursday, officials said.
"The defendant is accused of firing several shots at a group of police officers at close range after fleeing a stop and recklessly speeding through neighborhoods until the car was boxed in," Singas said in the statement. "It is a miracle that none of the officers were killed that evening."
Anderson’s attorney was identified by prosecutors as Mitch Barnett. Barnett, whose practice is based in Garden City, did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday afternoon.
On Dec. 29, a Hempstead police officer and three detectives were investigating a report of an armed driver at a gas station near Greenwich Street and Baldwin Road in Hempstead, authorities said. They activated a siren on their unmarked vehicle and approached a car driven by Anderson, prosecutors said.
As police walked toward the vehicle, Singas said, Anderson "drove off, struck a vehicle at the gas station and fled the scene. A vehicular pursuit ensued for approximately one and half miles and ended at a home in Roosevelt on East Pennywood Avenue."
Anderson then opened fire, Singas said.
"The defendant allegedly wedged his car next to another car in the driveway," she said. "As the defendant attempted to exit the vehicle, the officers approached the car and Anderson allegedly fired at least three rounds at them, with officers returning fire."
No one was injured in the gunfight, officials said. Anderson and another person in the vehicle then fled.
Anderson was arrested the following day by officers with Nassau police’s Homicide Squad, prosecutors said.
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