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Federal Agents Open Fire In Midtown After Botched Sting Op
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Mar 26, 2011
Modified Mar 26, 2011
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By
Jaya Saxena
Published Mar 26, 2011
Modified Mar 26, 2011
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Whenever a massive shootout happens in the middle of Times Square in a movie, most New Yorkers sit back and laugh, knowing that stuff never actually happens here. But when a McDonalds parking lot is involved, fantasies do come true! Yesterday, agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency opened fire on a suspect near 34th Street and Tenth Avenue after he fled in a van from a botched sting operation (the Post says it was a drug bust) outside a McDonald's. One witness said, "I thought it was a movie being filmed. I felt like I was back in Vietnam. I thought, 'Oh no, not again!' "
The agents had been waiting in the McDonald's parking lot on 10th Avenue in a red van when a man walked over from another vehicle. The officers jumped from their van and tackled the man on the ground, but another suspect reportedly began driving his SUV toward the agents. The agents opened fire, shooting the van three times and blowing out the windows. An unmarked car pursued the vehicle, but the suspect drove for about four more blocks before getting out and fleeing on foot. There were blood spots on the sidewalk near the vehicle, but it wasn't clear if the suspect had been shot.
Agents found about $100,000 in the abandoned car, and the man nabbed at the scene had multiple prior arrests. However, it was unclear why they were wanted. The incident also brought out people's real feelings about the city. One tourist said, "It's my first time in New York. I hate it here." But another local said, "I've lived here my whole life. This is what happens in New York."
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