What to Know
- An 18-year-old was in critical condition Monday after police shot him for allegedly driving at cops during a traffic stop in the Bronx
- Officers attempted to stop the driver Sunday night after observing a Jeep speeding through traffic lights
- NYPD officials said officers fired at the moving vehicle, which could violate department policy, striking the man in the head
An 18-year-old man has been hospitalized in critical condition after police shot him in the head while allegedly fleeing a traffic stop in the Bronx and driving at officers Sunday night.
The NYPD said officers decided to pursue a black Jeep speeding through the Morrisania section when they spotted the driver running several red lights.
Two unmarked patrol vehicles attempted a traffic stop on Boston Road, positioned on the front and back sides of the Jeep, with their police lights flashing, two senior law enforcement sources said.
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Officers moved to approach the vehicle when the driver backed up, hitting one of the police vehicles. The sources added that the driver then sped forward in the direction of an officer who fired into the Jeep.
Identified by police and family as Luis Manuel-Monsanta, the 18-year-old was hit in the head and taken to the hospital where he was last listed in critical condition.
Three passengers, including the owner of the vehicle, were also inside the Jeep throughout the chaos. Each has since been questioned by police.
News
Eddy Monsanto, the 18-year-old's father, told NBC New York his son has been unable to communicate or move one side of his body. He wants the state attorney general to investigate the shooting.
Speaking during an NYPD press conference several hours after the shooting, Chief of Department Kenneth Corey acknowledged the standing department policy in reference to firing at a moving vehicle.
“The department’s policy is not to shoot at a moving vehicle unless something other than the vehicle is being used as a weapon,” Corey said. “However there is a carve-out there that gets reviewed on a case by case basis by the first deputy commissioners use of force review board.”
Body warn camera and nearby surveillance footage are being reviewed by investigators.
