New York State Police Vehicle Stolen After Man Slips Handcuffs

State Police say they were responding to a crash, when a suspect allegedly got out of his handcuffs. What the suspect did next, according to offcials, is pretty brazen. State Police would get an assist from county police when tracking down this runaway suspect in a patrol car.

Statistics posted from the National Insurance Crime Bureau at Motor Watch Guides says that there was a record-breaking 1,020,729 vehicles were stolen in 2023. New York State ranked 7th in the nation for vehicle thefts last year, according to the study.

However, it's not too often vehicles of law enforcement are the ones be taken.

New York State Police Vehicle Stolen After Man Slips Handcuffs

New York State Police said in a press release that troopers responded to a property damage crash on the Southern State Parkway in the town of Babylon early Friday morning.

State Police says that troopers interviewed the driver, a 37-year-old man from Copiague, and suspected he may be under the influence of alcohol and or drugs. The suspect failed sobriety tests and was placed under arrest, handcuffed, and seat-belted into the rear of a State Police patrol vehicle.

See Also: New York State Man Charged With DWI After Driving to Barracks For Other Charge

But while troopers were continuing their investigation, the suspect managed to slip his handcuffs to the front, freed himself from the seat belt, climbed into the front seat of the patrol vehicle and drove off from the scene.

With the assistance of the Suffolk County Police Department, state police located the stolen patrol vehicle about three miles from the scene in West Babylon. A short time later, the man was found in a nearby cemetery and taken back into custody.

See Also: New York State Police Arrest Fugitive Suspected of Triple Homicide

The suspect has been charged with numerous felonies and misdemeanors, says New York State Police.