What to Know
- An officer was injured when a car drove towards her while fleeing two other officers at Kennedy Airport Saturday
- The officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at an area hospital
- Officers chased after the driver after he sped away but he was able to escape
Authorities are searching for the person who drove towards an officer while fleeing police at Kennedy Airport, officials say.
Three officers were approaching the parked car at the arrivals area of Terminal 8 shortly after 5 p.m. when the driver suddenly took off in the direction of one of the officers, according to Port Authority police spokesperson Joe Pentangelo.
While jumping out of the way of the car, the officer fell into another moving vehicle and was injured, Pentangelo said.
The other officers chased after the car, at which point the driver backed up in their direction before taking off on the Van Wyck Expressway, according to Pentangelo.
Port Authority police closed down the Van Wyck Expressway for about 10 minutes as they searched for the suspect, but they couldn't find him, Pentangelo said.
Police have identified the suspect, sources told NBC 4, but authorities haven't released any information about him or his vehicle.
Local
The injured officer had bruising and soft tissue damage, Pentangelo said. She was taken to North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset to be treated.
Travelers at the airport speculated what the driver may have been up to. Irina Bogdan, who was picking her daughter up at the airport, said the man may have been an unlicensed cab driver.
"Lots of drivers are trying to make extra money and they know if they don't have a legal license to drive here in the airport they're going to be charged," Bogdan said.
Police haven't said whether they suspect the driver was committing any crimes at the airport before driving away.
