Suspect Shot After Ramming Police and Civilian Cars During Chase

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Massapequa, New York — On September 20, 2024, officers with the New York City Police Department (NYPD), Freeport Police Department, and NCPD were involved in a vehicle pursuit through Queens and Nassau counties. The pursuit ended when the car driven by Jeremy Bennett came to a stop on Sunrise Highway in Massapequa. During the ensuing encounter, officers discharged their service weapons, striking Bennett. Bennett was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. According to the NYPD the vehicle Bennett was driving fled from the traffic stop "at a high rate of speed". The NYPD terminated its attempt to apprehend the driver.

The reason that NYPD officers initially attempted to stop Bennett was not disclosed. In comments made the day after the shooting, Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said the vehicle driven by Bennett "jumped onto oncoming traffic on Sunrise Highway." Ryder said of Bennett: "He’s ramming police cars. He’s ramming civilian cars and he lost control of his own vehicle." Nassau police pursued Bennett's vehicle, which police said struck or almost struck civilian and police cars, as well as several people. As a result, eight people were hospitalized, including five Nassau officers, two NYPD officers and one civilian. They all had minor injuries, police said.