05/06/12 Hoboken, NJ – Police Car Stolen From Large “Riot Condition” – Suspect Crashes Into Taxi Cab In Jersey City – Injuries – He Escaped

May 6, 2012

blog.nj.com

A Hoboken police car was stolen and crashed into a taxi cab in Jersey City following several large “riot-condition” fights that broke out in the area around the Hoboken Housing Authority complex early Saturday morning, police said.

Officers arriving to the area around 300 Marshall Dr. around 3 a.m. on Saturday found a group of roughly 100 people, of which 25 to 30 were involved in a fistfight, and called for backup, reports said.

Units from Jersey City, NJ Transit, and Stevens Institute of Technology arrived and after 20 minutes, around 20 officers on the scene were able to disperse the group, police said.

At that point, an officer went to his police car and heard a report of another fight at 400 Harrison St. and he left the keys in the ignition as he ran to the area with other officers, reports said.

As officers were attempting to disperse the second group, a third large fight was reported in the area of 300 Jackson St. and a call for mutual aid was placed as officers were outnumbered by the large number of people fighting, police said.

While police were working to disperse the third fight, a police car was then stolen near 300 Marshall Dr. and driven toward Jersey City, where the driver crashed into a taxi cab at 18th and Jersey Avenue and fled the scene, reports said.

Police said the cab driver, who was from Jersey City, was taken to Jersey City Medical Center and treated for his injuries.

A fourth large fight was then reported at 320 Marshall Dr., and all units who responded to the crash in Jersey City were directed to the area and eventually disbursed all people involved, reports said.

Police said they believe the fight had to do with a ongoing dispute between two families that live in Hoboken Housing Authority buildings.

No arrests were made in the large fights, police said, noting that officers were outnumbered about 10 to 1. It was also noted that other people in the area also began yelling and screaming at the cops on the scene, reports said.

The person who stole the police are has not been caught, police said, adding that the incident is under investigation.