New York City police broke the windows of a van during an attempt to stop a suspected kidnapper before fatally shooting the driver, dramatic video shows.
Officers confronted the suspect during a failed traffic stop Saturday night on the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn’s Sheepshead Bay neighborhood, according to footage recorded by vlogger Tiger Selmi.
The driver, described by police as a Black man in his 30s, allegedly rammed the white utility van into multiple vehicles on the busy expressway, the video shows.
Officers approached with Tasers drawn and repeatedly ordered the driver to “stop the car” as he tried to pull away.
Police pursued the van and struck its windows with batons in an effort to reach the driver. He continued moving, however, colliding with more vehicles as he attempted to escape.
Although the shooting was not captured in the video, authorities said officers opened fire as the driver tried to flee the scene.
The man was transported to NYU Langone Brooklyn Hospital, where he later died.
Police said the chase and shooting followed 911 calls reporting that a woman was screaming and kicking while allegedly shouting, “let me go,” prompting fears that she was being abducted.
Dramatic footage recorded by vlogger Tiger Selmi shows New York City police smashing the windows of a suspected kidnapper’s van on the Belt Parkway in Brooklyn’s Sheepshead Bay neighborhood Saturday night before the driver was fatally shot
Authorities said officers opened fire as the driver attempted to flee, although the shooting was not shown in the video. He was taken to NYU Langone Brooklyn Hospital, where he later died
A 911 call reporting a possible kidnapping was received in the 60th Precinct, which covers Coney Island, a police spokesperson said.
Police said the call came at 7:19 p.m. near Seaside Park.
Initial reports suggested a child might have been involved, but investigators found no minors at the scene, authorities said.
An officer attempted to block the roadway, but the driver allegedly crashed into police and civilian vehicles before trying to escape by traveling against traffic, police said.
“The driver began to drive forward and backward, ramming both police and occupied civilian vehicles,” NYPD Assistant Chief Charles Minch told WABC.
“They used OC spray and deployed a taser, which was not effective, and the driver continued to ram nearby vehicles.”
The woman, whose identity has not been released, was found inside the van and was not injured, authorities said.
Officials described the case as a domestic incident, according to the outlet.
Police said the driver had been wanted earlier this month in connection with an alleged domestic assault involving the same woman.
Police said the response began after 911 callers reported hearing a woman kick and scream “let me go” as she was allegedly being abducted
The NYPD told the Daily Mail that no officers were reported injured in the shooting
The unidentified woman was found inside the van and was not injured, authorities said
The NYPD told the Daily Mail late Saturday that no officers had been reported injured.
The incident was at least the 10th fatal police-involved shooting in New York City in 2026.
In September, police shot and killed 49-year-old Pamela Cisneros Lopez, who was armed with a knife after allegedly stabbing a woman and a man near Times Square, one of Manhattan’s busiest tourist areas.
That same week, officers fatally shot a knife-wielding man on the Brooklyn Bridge after he told police he had a bomb.
Police later identified the man killed on the bridge as 41-year-old Chaun Bottom.