Five NYPD officers were hurt in a crash while trying to catch a thief who had just stolen a mini-van in Staten Island Saturday morning, police said.
Residents called 911 to report seeing a man trying to break into vehicles near Pelton Avenue and Richmond Terrace in Randall Manor around 8 a.m.
When police arrived, the thief fled in the red van, according to police.
Several units searched for the vehicle and it was spotted at Lafayette Avenue and Brighton Avenue.
Cops pursued the van, which the suspect then crashed into a cop car at Pelton Avenue and Richmond Terrace.
But the chase wasn’t over.
The thief took off on foot through backyards in a chase that ended on Elizabeth Avenue, where he was taken into custody, police said.
One officer hurt his foot in the incident. The other officers suffered minor injuries, police said.
Dashawn Cook, 20 of Staten Island, was arrested and hit with a laundry list of charges, including assault on a police officer, grand larceny, reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, leaving the scene of an accident, obstruction of government administration, unauthorized use of a vehicle, fleeing officer in a motor vehicle and reckless driving, according to police.
