The driver of a stolen white Porsche was shot dead by police Tuesday night after nearly striking an officer with the flashy car at an NYPD roadblock near the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn, police said.
The suspect — who was previously charged in a multi-state car theft ring — initially landed on authorities’ radar around 8 p.m. after they noticed the “suspicious” car and discovered the license plates were stolen, Chief of Department John Chell said during a press conference.
Police tried to pull over the 28-year-old car thief, who had a passenger in the car with him, on Cropsey Avenue in Canarsie, but he refused to stop, and hightailed back on the Belt eastbound, according to Chell.
Authorities tried to “intercept” the Porsche several exits away, leading the driver to veer onto the adjacent service road where more cops set up a roadblock, the chief said.
In attempting to pass the roadblock, the suspect nearly swerved right into an NYPD cop who was standing at the roadblock and that officer fired his gun, shooting the driver once.
“At least one of these officers, the Porsche came into close proximity, nearly striking him,” Chell said, leading the cop to fire one round at the driver.
The wounded driver kept going until he crashed into another police car, an exit away from the gunfire, the NYPD official said.
The wounded suspect was rushed to Brookdale Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The passenger — who was not harmed — was taken into custody.
The identity of the driver was not revealed early Wednesday, but cops said he was on federal probation for being part of a stolen car ring out of Pennsylvania.
Following the shooting, police confirmed the Porsche was stolen out of the Keystone State, according to Chell.
Additional reporting by Larry Celona.
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