A police investigation is underway after a Lower Manhattan traffic incident involving an SUV from the NYPD commissioner’s security detail injured a 14-year-old boy, according to officials and the boy’s mother.
The incident occurred on July 4 in the Two Bridges neighborhood, when the teen, who was riding a Citi Bike, struck a parked car while attempting to maneuver around the police SUV, according to authorities and surveillance footage reviewed by Gothamist. The footage shows the NYPD vehicle pulling into oncoming traffic before the teen hits the pavement in front of the SUV.
A police spokesperson said there was no indication of contact between the department vehicle and the bicycle or its rider.
The teen was taken to a nearby hospital with cuts and a deep scrape on his leg, according to his mother, Meron Girma.
Officials said Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch was not in the vehicle when the incident occurred. Police said the driver was male, but did not disclose his identity or how long he'd been assigned to the commissioner’s security detail.
Under the NYPD’s patrol guide, an officer must stop and remain at the scene when a department vehicle is involved in a collision, and a patrol supervisor must be called to investigate. But that rule would not apply if there was no collision, a police official said.
In an interview, Girma said she took issue with the driver leaving the scene after her son was visibly injured. She said she had so far declined to let Internal Affairs investigators interview her son.
"You knew that a child was injured," she said.
Girma continued, “As a civilian, I would still stop and help an injured child. An officer of the law, shouldn't they be held to a higher standard?”
