Police: Brooklyn man shot in assault on cop

A suspect in a rash of larcenies in the Westbury area was shot once Tuesday by a Nassau County police officer after he slammed the door of his minivan on the finger of an officer then crashed into an unmarked police car attempting to flee, police said.

Andrew L. Howard, 33, of 769 Essex St., Brooklyn, was taken to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow with a gunshot wound to the leg.

The officer, whose identity was not released, suffered a crushed and fractured finger, according to police. He was treated at a hospital and later released.

The assault occurred at 5:05 p.m. in the parking lot of the Best Buy store on Old Country Road in Westbury.

Police said officers had gone to the lot to investigate a white minivan suspected to have been used in "numerous past larcenies in the area." There, the officers approached the van and, police said, one officer opened the driver's side door -- and identified himself as police.

At that time, police said, Howard "slammed the door on the hand of the officer" and attempted to flee the scene -- the officer's hand still stuck in the door. The minivan struck a Bureau of Special Operations vehicle before a second officer fired one shot, hitting Howard.

Howard was charged with second-degree assault, third-degree criminal mischief and second-degree obstructing government administration.

He is scheduled for bedside arraignment at NUMC as soon as possible, police said.