The wrong-way driver who struck and seriously wounded a Manhattan cop on Wednesday afternoon is a known pro-Palestinian protester who allegedly targeted the officer, police reported.
Law enforcement sources said the street collision occurred at the corner of East 77th Street and Park Avenue on the Upper East Side at about 4:20 p.m. on Jan. 17.
The officer and a partner were guarding an abandoned vehicle at the location when the suspect, a female driver, came speeding northbound on Park Avenue’s southbound lanes.
Police say that the vehicle came to a stop as one of the cops approached to investigate before the female driver allegedly slammed on the accelerator and swerved into the male officer.
Sources familiar with the investigation said the driver allegedly yelled verbal insults at the officer when he approached the vehicle seconds before ramming the car into him.
The car then halted and other cops swiftly yanked the driver from the vehicle, placing her in cuffs.
The injured officer was rushed to Cornell Medical Center for treatment of a broken arm and leg.
Sources familiar with the case said the unidentified suspect is a known pro-Palestinian protester. It is not currently clear why the driver decided to target the cop or if her affiliation with the protest group played a role in the attack.
Charges against the driver are pending the results of the ongoing investigation police said.
The Police Benevolent Association posted on X (Twitter) a photo of the union’s president, Patrick Hendry, visiting the hospital where the injured officer was convalescing, and lamented the act of violence against an NYPD member.
“Another night, another hospital emergency room, this time with our brother police officer who was run down on the Upper East Side. Thankfully he will be OK, but we need all NYers to help us protect the cops who protect your neighborhood. #EnoughIsEnough,” the PBA wrote.
Read more: Bronx construction worker dies at job site
