NYPD vehicles set on fire in Brooklyn parking lot, police say
Several NYPD vehicles were set on fire overnight in Bushwick, Brooklyn, according to police.
Police say it appears to be a case of arson and criminal mischief as they search for a suspect.
The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. Thursday inside a gated NYPD parking lot near the corner of Central and Dekalb avenues, roughly a block away from the 83rd Precinct.
The FDNY responded, and the flames were extinguished. No injuries were reported.
Police said eight vehicles were damaged, including a van and multiple SUVs. Six were marked as police vehicles and two were unmarked. Some were charred beyond recognition, while others looked like their windows were shattered.
A torch lighter was found at the scene, police said. Detectives and investigators with the fire marshal's office are now working to determine how the fire was set. Mayor Eric Adams said three other vehicles were found with fire-starters on them that did not ignite.
"We want to be clear, no one has a license to commit violence in our city, especially against law enforcement. This damage is unacceptable, and we will find the person who is involved," Adams said. "It takes courage to put on a uniform, but you can be a coward to burn property and damage property intentionally. When these officers put their life at risk, they answer the call, and we're here to give them the support they deserve."
Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch went to the scene Thursday to survey the damage in person
Some neighbors said surveillance video shows the suspect pacing up and down the block, and then using a table to jump over the fence to access the lot. The person in the video is wearing all black.
"I was in my apartment, I got the notification from the Citizen app on my phone and came out and saw flames and a crowd gathered," one neighbor said on the scene. "It was very unsettling, no one wants to live on a street that has arson happening on it. Yeah, it's unnerving for sure."
Neighbors said the situation could've been much worse if the fire had spread to their homes.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish. You can also submit a tip . All calls are kept confidential.
