- An off-duty NYPD officer fired a shot from her vehicle at three men stealing a catalytic converter in Upper Manhattan, causing them to scatter and remain at large.
If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to finally interrupt a catalytic converter theft in progress, apparently the answer is: an off-duty cop, a minivan, and absolutely no patience for brazen criminals. Early Tuesday morning in Hamilton Heights, Upper Manhattan, a 31-year-old NYPD officer on her way to work found herself at the center of an incident that’s equal parts remarkable and grimly familiar.
The officer was heading out to start her shift when a neighbor flagged her down to report that three men were actively stealing a catalytic converter from a nearby parked vehicle. Most of us would have called 911 and kept driving. She didn’t. She drove to the scene and began recording the three suspects in the act — at which point the group noticed her and approached her vehicle, apparently trying to box her in. That’s when things escalated quickly.
Two of the men reached into their waistbands in what the officer described as an intimidating manner. She drew her weapon and fired one round from inside her car. The shot went through her minivan’s windshield. The three suspects scattered and, as of this writing, remain at large. No injuries have been confirmed…