Officer hit by fleeing driver's vehicle during traffic stop in Queens, NYPD says

An NYPD officer sustained leg injuries during a traffic stop of a suspected stolen vehicle late Wednesday night in Jamaica, Queens, police said.

An NYPD spokesman said the injured officer was struck and thrown over the hood of the vehicle, a 2018 Subaru SUV, as the driver fled. The officer's partner discharged one round in an attempt to stop the fleeing driver, though police said it was not immediately clear if anyone in the vehicle — or the vehicle itself — were hit.

The attempted traffic stop, by the two uniformed officers in an unmarked car, occurred at Sutphin Boulevard and Tuskegee Airmen Way in the 103rd Pct. at 11:30 p.m., police said.

Police said the officers made the stop in an attempt to confirm the vehicle had been stolen. As the two got out of their unmarked police car, the man began to drive off, striking one officer, who was tossed over the hood of the SUV.

The officer sustained what the NYPD described as minor leg injuries and was taken to Jamaica Medical Center for treatment.

No arrests have been made and police said the investigation and search for the driver are continuing.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”