Thursday’s Headlines: Is This Cop Trying To Kill This Moped Rider?

It’s hard to watch, but this video posted to Reddit yesterday certainly looks like a cop is trying to kill a moped rider on a Queens highway. Watch for yourself:

Now, we don’t know what came before the video begins — but we’d argue that nothing justifies the manner in which this cop is driving, at high speed, on a highway.

The incident is reminiscent of previous misuse of NYPD squad cars. In 2019, a cop rammed a Citi Bike rider after claiming he had run some red lights in the East Village — a crime, certainly, but not one that justifies the use of deadly force. (Unless, of course, you were then-NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill.)

And then there was the time during the George Floyd protests when two cops drove squad cars into a crowd of protesters.

We asked the NYPD about the latest horrifying incident, but the agency only said, “We are aware of the video and it is under internal review.” That statement was attributed to a “spokesperson.”

In other news:

• If anyone is going to price the curb correctly, it’s Donald Shoup. But do we want residential parking permits? Bloomberg considers it.
• OMNY is still a big ripoff. (NY Post)
• Gov. Hochul showed up at the MTA board meeting to show her support for the agency. (NYDN)
• Apparently, electric vehicles aren’t the only things that burst into flames. (NY Post)
• The Assembly Transportation Committee passed the Idaho stop bill. Now it’s up to the Senate.
• Hey, Connecticut, we need your money for Metro-North so we can visit our Bubbe! (NYDN, amNY)
• It was a sad day for hot dog lovers: Nicholas Gray is dead. (NY Post, NY Times)
• There’s a new park under the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan. (amNY)