LONG ISLAND, NY – A 33-year-old Long Island resident, Brandon Scanlon, was arrested after a high-speed 25-minute pursuit where he reportedly drove into an officer, fired at police from his vehicle, and eventually crashed into a tree. The chase, described as Hollywood-esque, stretched across several neighborhoods from Bohemia through Brentwood to Bay Shore.
The incident began on Wednesday evening as the Suffolk County police, conducting a “confidential investigation,” attempted to apprehend Scanlon in Bohemia. Scanlon responded by escaping in his minivan, striking an officer in the process, according to a department press release.
The suspect reportedly opened fire from his automobile as the police pursuit ensued, leading to authorities returning fire.
The harrowing chase ended around 7.20 p.m. after Scanlon crashed into a tree on the North Sunrise Highway Service Road, just to the east of the Robert Moses Causeway. The police asserted they found Scanlon with a gunshot wound, likely inflicted by a police service weapon, and a ghost gun inside his vehicle.
Scanlon was moved to a nearby hospital for treatment of his non-life-threatening injuries. Meanwhile, five police officers also sought hospital treatment for evaluation following the incident.
Authorities have charged Scanlon with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and second-degree assault. Further details about why Scanlon was being investigated by the police initially have not been disclosed.