Just after 9:45 PM on March 14, 2024, Yonkers Police Department officers were approached by a victim in the area of McLean Avenue and Van Cortlandt Park Avenue who related that his vehicle had just been stolen moments earlier nearby.
The victim identified his vehicle, which was being driven away from the location. Officers pursued this dangerous suspect through City streets, following procedure and protocol to keep the community safe while attempting to apprehend him.
During this pursuit, this suspect caused collisions with several Yonkers Police vehicles, injured several Officers, drove recklessly, and disobeyed countless vehicle and traffic laws. The pursuit ended with a crash at the intersection of Warburton Avenue and Glenwood Avenue.
Upon apprehending this suspect, force was used to place him into custody. As is Yonkers Police procedure with all uses of force, an investigation into the use of force was promptly initiated at the scene.
The Yonkers Police Internal Affairs Division immediately responded and reviewed the actions taken by the Officers.
In this preliminary investigation, it was determined that one member of the Yonkers Police Department utilized force in a manner not consistent with training, procedures, or Department values. It is evident from this preliminary review, this member acted alone in these actions and all other Officers on the scene followed policy and procedure in their duties.
The Yonkers Police Department acted swiftly in this matter, placing the sole member involved on restricted duty until the investigation is completed.
The Yonkers Police Department proactively presented this incident to the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office within 24 hours and promptly informed the Department of Justice. As such, this incident is currently being investigated by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Public Integrity Bureau. The Yonkers Police Department will continue to cooperate fully with all aspects of this investigation.
“Our actions in response to this incident, as opposed to the actions taken by this Officer, accurately represent who we are as a Department and as members of this community,” said Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza. “We self-initiated a full investigation and further referred it to an outside agency to investigate. While we will reserve final judgment on this incident until this investigation has been completed, we will continue to cooperate with the investigators until this case comes to a close.”
“I am shocked, dismayed, and extremely disappointed by the actions of this Officer. They are not reflective of the values of our Yonkers Police Department,” said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. “We do not tolerate this type of behavior. This administration very much supports our men and women in blue. Our Yonkers Police Department is one of the best in the nation, progressing forward in community policing and keeping crime down 24% in the past decade. However, this Officer disregarded our mission and will be held accountable for his actions that day. We expect the District Attorney’s Office to do a full and thorough investigation.”
