Cops: Man who rammed into police car found attending class

A man who swerved in the direction of two Nassau County police cars stopped at a light Thursday evening in East Garden City later tried to run them over, crashed his truck into a patrol car, then drove to college and was later found attending a class, police said.

The incident began at about 5:10 p.m. Thursday, police said, as officers in two patrol cars waited in the turn lane at a red light on Stewart Avenue near Endo Boulevard.

John P. Burkhardt, 44, driving his 2000 Toyota Tundra pickup truck west, "suddenly swerved in the direction of the police cars" - coming to "a sudden stop just before crashing into them," police said.

The officers activated their emergency lights, then got out of their cars and approached the Tundra, ordering Burkhardt, of Bayside Avenue in Oyster Bay, to turn off his engine, police said. But Burkhardt ignored the order - and "intentionally drove his vehicle forward at the approaching officers, forcing them to move out of the way in order to prevent from being pinned between the truck and the patrol car," police said in a release.

Burkhardt drove off and drove behind a building. Officers attempted to block his truck there, but he instead placed the Toyota in reverse and crashed into one of the patrol cars. The officer suffered injuries to his shoulder, arm and hand and was taken to Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, police said.

Police said that patrol unit became disabled and said that the second officer had to swerve out of the way to prevent a collision.

Burkhardt then drove south into a lot at Nassau Community College, where he was later found attending a class, police said.

Police said Burkhardt is a student at the school, but that could not immediately be verified with the college Friday.

Burkhardt was charged with three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree assault, second-degree criminal mischief, second-degree reckless endangerment, third-degree unlawfully fleeing a police officer and leaving the scene of an accident, police said.

The defendant was arraigned Friday. His next court date has been scheduled for Oct. 7.