A 23-year-old man turned the quiet northeast corner of Central Park into a brief spectacle on Monday when he jumped into the Harlem Meer while trying to outrun NYPD officers pursuing him over an alleged theft in Harlem. After about 20 minutes in the water, first responders pulled him out and took him to Mount Sinai Morningside, where he was reported in stable condition. Police then arrested him and charged him with petit larceny.
How the chase unfolded
According to police, officers first approached the man in Harlem around 4:54 p.m. as they investigated a reported larceny. The pursuit led into Central Park, where the suspect dove into the Harlem Meer near West 110th Street in what looked like a last-ditch bid to get away.
Video posted to the Citizen app shows several officers lining the shore while emergency crews worked at the water’s edge, Patch reported. An NYPD helicopter hovered over the lake as divers went into the water and medics pulled the swimmer from the surface before he was taken to Mount Sinai Morningside in stable condition, according to Fox News.
The alleged theft that led to the chase…