Pursuit Ends In Shootout, Foot Chase in Uniondale

UNIONDALE, NY - Shots rang out early Tuesday morning on Nassau Road after a Dodge Charger that was being pursued by police crashed and the driver opened fire on police officers.

Nassau County Police were involved in a pursuit of a black Dodge Charger that failed to stop for police officers after a run of the license plate turned up that the vehicle was stolen. Police found the suspect in the Dodge and began following him just before 1AM on Tuesday morning. The suspect crashed his car into another occupied vehicle while trying to squeeze between two cars, injuring the driver. The front driver’s side wheel of the Dodge was damaged as a result of the crash.

After the crash, the suspect stopped further down the road. When police officers exited their vehicles to confront the armed man, he turned around while in the car and shot twice, nearly striking the officers. Police returned fire at the suspect, striking his car multiple times.

According to Nassau County Police Commissioner Ryder in a Tuesday afternoon press conference, the suspect got back into the car and continued to flee further down the road before stopping again. The unidentified suspect exited the vehicle once again and pointed the gun at police, attempting to shoot at them. The gun did not fire and the man in all red ran on foot through backyards on Van Buren Street.

At one point, when police confronted the man after finding him during the manhunt, he attempted “suicide by cop” and pointed the gun to his own head expressing suicidal thoughts, according to officials.

Credit: Frank Lewis / Priority News Network

The suspect then continued to flee on foot and was eventually found by the Aviation Unit, prompting a large number of police officers from various divisions of the department to close in on him. The suspect surrendered to officers and threw his gun down near Van Buren Street and Krull Street. The unidentified suspect was taken into custody.

One police officer was taken to Nassau University Medical Center for injuries after a fence collapsed while chasing the suspect. The officer sustained an injury to his knee.

Nassau Road was shut down between Avenue B and Arthur Street while police conducted an investigation.

In the press conference with Nassau County Police Commissioner Ryder on Tuesday afternoon, it was confirmed that the 20-year old suspect, a member of a gang, was wanted for a shooting that occurred in Hempstead that nearly killed a woman. Ryder also said that the suspect is being investigated for multiple robberies.

UPDATE: 3/1/22 11:00PM

Police say the suspect, Jonathan Vazquez, 20, of Bay Shore, has been charged with two counts of Murder 1st Degree of a Police Officer (Attempt), Criminal Use of a Firearm 1st Degree, two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd Degree, and Assault 2nd Degree.

Police also released that the suspect was responsible for an incident that occurred in Hempstead on February 8, 2022, in which he is charged with Murder 2nd Degree (Attempt), Assault 1st Degree, Criminal Use of a Firearm 1st Degree, and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd Degree.

In addition to the Hempstead incident, Vazquez is also responsible for a robbery that occurred on February 16, 2022 in Levittown. He is charged with Robbery 1st Degree.

Vazquez will be arraigned on Wednesday, February 2nd at the First District Court in Hempstead.