A dramatic NYPD video reminiscent of scenes from “The French Connection” depicts officers pursuing two suspected car thieves in a stolen muscle car speeding through the Bronx, even onto sidewalks.
At approximately 11 a.m. on September 17, police received a report of a stolen vehicle when a new, bright blue 2025 Dodge Charger triggered a license plate reader at East 167th Street and Morris Avenue.
One of the department’s drone operators spotted the Charger racing through Claremont Village, relaying its location to ground units.
Approximately six police vehicles chased the Charger, which attempted to evade capture by driving onto the sidewalk along East 167th Street, according to police reports.
The pursuit ended abruptly about a mile later when the driver collided with an SUV that was halted at a red light on Walton Avenue.
“Get out of the car! Get out of the car!” an officer shouted, as captured on body camera footage.
The two individuals inside the heavily tinted Charger bolted from the vehicle, prompting a quick pursuit by two fast-responding officers.
“He’s over there!” a bystander shouted to the pursuing officer, indicating the direction of one of the suspects.
“Get down! Get down!” commanded an officer armed with a firearm, as he approached another pedestrian in a yellow parka while closing in on the fleeing suspect.
Plainclothes officers apprehended the second suspect, taking him down and restraining him, as shown in body camera footage.
However, the intense scenario didn’t end there.
As police rolled the man onto his back, they discovered a firearm hidden beneath him, according to the video.
“I got it! I got it! I got it!” one officer exclaimed while confiscating the weapon.
Emmanuel Torres, 26, from Newark, NJ, has been charged with illegal possession of a firearm and criminal possession of stolen property, police confirmed.
Ricky Fernandez, 25, from Linden, NJ, faces charges of auto theft, criminal possession of stolen property, drug possession, and reckless driving. He was reportedly in possession of crack cocaine at the time of his arrest, according to law enforcement.
Both men pleaded not guilty, with Fernandez released on his own recognizance and Torres released under non-monetary conditions as per court records.
