JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) - Authorities said they are reviewing a weekend police pursuit in Jersey City that ended when the driver struck a utility pole, sparking a fiery crash that seriously injured another motorist.
The review comes as a video obtained by Univision shows police kicking at a man and dragging him into the roadway in the moments after the crash. A police union official said the video “clearly shows” the officers acted quickly to extinguish the flames and pull the man to safety.
City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said officials have “serious concerns” about how police handled the pursuit, which began around 11 p.m. Sunday, The Jersey Journal (https://bit.ly/2shdFJ8) reported. Police fired multiple shots during the chase, but no one was hit.
Morrill said officials are “reserving judgment” until the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office concludes its investigation. She declined to comment Wednesday specifically on the video.
County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced late Wednesday afternoon that investigators from her office have reviewed the video and “believe with certainty” that the man seen in it is the motorist who wasn’t involved in the chase. That man, whose name has not been released, suffered severe burns and remained hospitalized on Wednesday.
The driver who authorities say was being pursued, 48-year-old city resident Leo Pinkston, has been charged with eluding and aggravated assault.
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