Brooklyn man charged with attempted first-degree murder after hitting NYPD officer with stolen car in Corona: DA – QNS

A grand jury in Queens has indicted a Brooklyn man on charges of attempted premeditated murder after he rammed an NYPD officer with a stolen car in North Corona last month.

Keyah Richardson, 19, of Sutter Avenue in Brownsville, was arraigned Wednesday in Queens Supreme Court. He faces 19 counts of attempted murder for striking the police officer who was investigating the carjacking. Richardson also faces a number of other charges for leading police on a chase through the streets of Corona during which he drove onto a sidewalk and nearly struck a grandfather who was walking with his young granddaughter.

If convicted, Richardson faces up to 40 years to life in prison.

According to the indictment, NYPD officers investigating a report of a stolen 2020 white Infiniti saw Richardson sitting in the stolen vehicle in front of 34-14 99th St. in North Corona around 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 18. The car had no license plates.

Richardson was then seen backing the car onto a sidewalk, nearly hitting the young girl who was walking by with her grandfather. An NYPD sergeant identified himself as a police officer and ordered Richardson to stop. Instead, Richardson continued driving toward Officer Bartholomew Tully of the Patrol Borough Queens North Community Response Team, who was walking toward the front of the Infiniti. Tully jumped onto the hood of a neighboring car to avoid injury, but was still struck by Richardson.

Richardson then sped off, hitting several parked cars, including two unmarked police vehicles, and driving the wrong way down a one-way street.

Police continued to pursue Richardson after he left the stolen can at the corner of 97th Street and Roosevelt Avenue, ran into the Junction Boulevard 7 station, and then ran back down to the street. He was observed entering a building, where he climbed a ladder and jumped onto an adjacent roof. He was eventually arrested on the roof of 38-11 97th St.

Police seized a diagnostic key programmer, a tool commonly used to break into vehicles, and two license plates.

The injured officer was taken to a hospital and treated for severe pain in his hip, knee and ankle.

“This defendant is accused of stealing a car and then using it as a battering ram to strike a New York City police officer,” said Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. “The defendant then nearly struck two pedestrians, a man and his young granddaughter, exited the stolen vehicle and led police on a manhunt throughout the neighborhood until he was finally caught on a rooftop. We obtained a grand jury indictment charging the defendant with attempted first-degree murder, attempted first-degree assault and other crimes.”

Queens Supreme Court Judge Toni Cimino remanded Richardson in custody without bail and ordered him to appear in court on October 7.