Crowd Tries To Flip Cop Car In Newark At Illegal Race Event: Police

NEWARK, NJ — A large crowd of people surrounded a Newark police car and tried to flip it over during an “illegal car racing event” last weekend, authorities announced Tuesday.

The Newark Department of Public Safety released the following details about the incident, which took place on Sunday:

“At approximately 2:31 a.m., police responded to the intersection of Doremus Avenue and Port Street on a call of several vehicles driving erratically in the middle of the street. Responding officers observed approximately 100 vehicles illegally blocking Doremus Avenue. A large crowd surrounded a Newark police vehicle, punching and kicking the car, and attempting to flip it over.”

No injuries were reported, and officers “handled the incident professionally to return safety to our streets,” Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said.

Police arrested nine people in the wake of the event and charged them with eluding. Each was an out-of-town resident, with arrestees ranging in age from 18 to 25 and hailing from West New York and Kearny, as well as Brooklyn, Woodland and North Baldwin in New York; Danbury, Connecticut; Ephrata, Pennsylvania; and Pembroke Pines, Florida.

“Each of these suspects lives outside of Newark and purposefully came here to conduct a so-called ‘street takeover,’” Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said.

“Thanks to these arrests, these individuals quickly learned that the City of Newark is not their playground,” Fragé added.

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